Legend of Naruko
by mlaluciano96
Summary: Chapter 6 will start the rewrite! Naruko makes two friends early on in her life, Kyubi/Kurama and Hinata. Watch as these early bonds greatly change her life, and that of those around her! Naruhina with a few twists. Lesbian Fic! Smart Naruko! Strong Naruko! Strong Hinata! Medic Hinata! Good Sasuke! Responsible Kakashi! Other pairings not decided.
1. Chapter 1 Origins

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I also didn't come up with the name Naruko**

A/N: this is my first fanfic and all reviews would be greatly appreciated. I'm super tired while writing the author's note so Imma keep this short. Assuming the formatting works right things will look like:

"Dialogue" 'Thoughts' **"Biju Dialogue" 'Biju Thoughts'** _Flashback_ Jutsu Name OoOoO = scene change

CHAPTER 1: Origins

The story of the Kyubi was known by everyone in the hidden leaf village. Officially the beast had attacked one night, wrecking the outskirts of the village and killing many shinobi before the Yondaime Hokage had killed Kyubi, losing his life in the battle. That was the story taught to the new generation who were too young to remember that night. A law was passed forbidding anyone from speaking of that what really happened that night. Fear of death kept everyone quiet, but they found ways around the law to express their fear and hatred.

At the tender age of 6 Naruko hadn't been taught much of anything. The matron of the orphanage barely acknowledged her existence, usually not speaking even when giving her food. The other kids were told to keep their distance, and always got scolded when they didn't listen so she couldn't learn from them. So Naruko often eavesdropped to gather information, when she wasn't pranking someone of course.

The villagers all treated her with disdain, though she could never figure out why. When she asked the adults she was either ignored or they accused her of trying to get them in trouble. How was giving her an answer going to hurt anything?Naruko was confused most of the time by the actions of the villagers. The Hokage was the only person who showed her kindness, he claimed the village was just confused and scared but he never elaborated more on the matter. Naruko couldn't figure out what was scary about her but in the end the answers she sought were barred off at every angle.

It was with these thoughts running through her mind that the young blonde walked near the edge of one of the many forested areas of the village. A gentle breeze ruffled the unkempt shoulder length hair on her head and her baggy white T-shirt with the loose red spiral on the belly. The same design was on either sleeve and the shirt contrasted with her black pants that were held up by a string she had found. She certainly didn't get to pick her clothes and the matron hadn't given enough care to ensure they fit.

There was a loud shout coming from a ways inside the forest, followed by a slightly quieter yelp. Turning to face the noise, she saw three academy age boys standing over an indigo haired girl who appeared to have fallen backwards. Tears were falling down her face, the boys just laughed and the leader kicked dirt into her face. Further dirtying her peach-tan kimono and causing her to shut her eyes tightly.

Naruko's ever present grin turned into a scowl as she stormed up to the group, tiny fists balled up in rage. This was wrong! No one deserved to be treated like that, and Naruko had had just about enough of the injustice of this village. It was one thing when it was her being bullied, that was normal, but they needed to stop picking on that poor girl! Naruko called out "Hey! Leave her alone!"

The three boys turned to look at the small girl, one of them dropped from his carefree demeanor and looked very concerned. The boy closest to Naruko just looked angry that they were interrupted. The leader had the least notable change as he merely sneered "Why? Don't you know she's the Hyuga brat?"

Naruko didn't know what a Hyuga was or why that should matter. She just saw three older boys ganging up on a helpless girl, and something about that felt all too familiar to the child. She gathered her resolve and gave the boy a defiant glare "That doesn't mean you should pick on her! What did she ever do to you?"

Hinata was propped up on one elbow when she finally rubbed enough dirt out of her eyes to look at her unlikely protector with a worried expression. The young heiress found herself more concerned with this stranger's well being than her own. Naruko didn't take her eyes off the assailant but noticed from her peripheral that the girl was dirty and slightly bruised. The realization that they had probably hit her further fueled her anger.

The concerned boy muttered something to his angry friend that sound like "...careful...said...dangerous." Naruko couldn't hear it all but the other boy turned and looked at him in disbelief. Their leader remained oblivious to his friends interacting and continued "The Hyugas think they are soooooo far above everyone else. So it's up to us to put this one in her place!" He put his foot on the pale eyed girl's shoulder and forced her flat on her back, eliciting a grunt of discomfort from the indigo haired girl.

Naruko let out a squeaky roar as she charged him, tackling him to the ground. Hinata looked on in disbelief as the pair rolled a few feet away with Naruko on top swinging wildly. She rained blows down wherever she could land them, ignoring how it hurt to punch someone for the first time. The frightful one of the trio backed away, while the one standing next to him picked up a heavy rock as big as his head and threw it at the feisty girl. The leader pushed her up off of him at that moment, and a blow meant for her back crashed into her head, splitting the rock.

Pain raced through her skull as Naruko's vision immediately became blurry and started to fade from the edges. She heard the other girl scream as more tears rolled down her face. The last thing she saw was the three boys running away before blackness overtook her and she slipped into unconsciousness.

OoOoO

Naruko was somewhere warm and wet, a faint dripping sound came from one direction and the other had a low repetitive rumbling. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but she appeared to be in a long tunnel with walls made of dark, moss covered brick. Along the ceiling ran a bunch of pipes splitting off to go down each corridor. She looked around in awe, unsure of how she got here, or which way would lead out. The ominous tone of her surroundings wasn't lost on her but somehow she felt strangely safe. After a moment of deliberation the young girl resolved to investigate the rumbling noise.

A short walk through an unvarying passage brought her before a gigantic gate, easily more than 15 meters high. A single piece of paper was placed over the spot where the two massive doors met. On closer examination she noticed it looked similar to the explosive tags she had overheard a ninja telling a child not to play with. Naruko wasn't sure of much but she got the sense that the gates were meant to be kept closed, still she was curious what was inside. "Hello?" Her voice called out to the darkness.

The rumbling was disrupted and a single bright red eye with a slited pupil opened to glare at her. The eye was easily as big as Naruko herself and she felt renewed awe at the size of whatever must be inside the cell. A deep voice came from her only company **"So for the first time in six years I have a visitor. Why don't you pull that paper off the gate and we'll talk more freely."** The large head lifted and turned to face her, the other eye coming into view.

Naruko looked back and forth from the paper to the eyes of the speaker. She remembered trying to mess with an explosive tag and carefully pull it off during one of her pranks only to have the thing start to sizzle. She had been lucky to get away with only some mild burns and damaged clothes that day. She glared at the ominous creature as she replied "Are you trying to blow me up? Everyone knows that removing an explosive tag is dangerous!"

Suddenly a row of very large, sharp white teeth were visible as the demon snarled at the girl **"That's not an explosive tag! Can't you read brat! It says seal on it."** The voice echoed throughout the passage, the loud vibrations rippling the shallow water that covered the floor and making it splash as high as Naruko's knees.

Naruko was angry, whatever this thing was, it was just as mean as everyone else and she was sick of this undeserved treatment. She clenched her fists at her sides and bent her arms so they were parallel to the ground. "It isn't my fault that nobody will tell me anything! Even the old man doesn't teach me anything and he's the only one that doesn't insult me for no reason or ignore me! I'm tired of all you thinking that you can pick on me just cause I'm small! I'm gonna get BIG, and them I'm going to go in there and KICK YOUR ASS!" Her volume increased as she spoke and with her finally shouting she stomped the ground. Surprisingly the entire passageway shook, clumps of moss rained from the ceiling and walls splashing into the water as the pipes rattled and clanged against each other. Naruko didn't seem to notice, too busy huffing loudly as she gave the demon her best death glare.

The large creature threw his head back and laughed boisterously, for the first time in over a century. His mouth opened widely to show the true size of his massive maw. The booming expression of amusement consumed the halls, drowning out all else. Naruko kept her glare, if anything intensifying it as she crossed her arms in front of her. Finally the laughter subsided and the beast replied **"You amuse me child. Tell me, what is your name?"** He'd had every opportunity to listen in on what her name was but up until now he couldn't be bothered with the affairs of humans.

The short blonde wasn't sure what was so funny about what she said, normally people got angry or scared when they were threatened. 'This guy is really weird.' No one had asked for her name before and her glare softened slightly as she spoke "Naruko, Uzumaki Naruko."

She continued to look at the pair of eyes before her as they moved closer to examine her properly. For the first time she saw that the being was actually just a really large fox. **"I suppose that's as good a name as any. You may refer to me as Kyubi, and if you want any answers you'd best not threaten me again. It was cute the first time but I am the most powerful of all biju, not some lowly human who plays at wielding chakra."**

Naruko's eyes widened and she dropped her arms to her sides 'Ky-Kyubi?!' Her brain crashed and had to reboot at that piece of knowledge "Wait a minute, the Yondaime killed you! I heard academy students talking about it." She glared at him again incredulously.

The Kyubi sighed, seeing he was going to have have to explain some things to this child. **"Listen well brat, no one can kill a biju. We are beings made entirely of chakra. Even if by some miracle one of us is defeated, our chakra disperses and reforms within a few years. The only way to truely stop us is to seal us away into a human vessel, much like how I am sealed in you."**

Naruko tilted her head to the side and her mouth gaped "Hu-what?! You're inside me?" That made no sense to the girl, how could she talk to something that is inside her? Besides the fox in front of her was huge and she was a child, slightly tall for her age but still much smaller than adults.

Kyubi smirked **"Yes, that seal there keeps me locked inside this cage. Right now we are inside your mind."** Naruko looked around and sweatdropped, this run down place was her mind? Would it be different if she had learned more? If she was happier would the place be brighter?

She turned her attention back to Kyubi "Hey Kyubi, how do I come back here?" If this was real then the Kyubi seemed to be the only one willing to answer her questions. Maybe if she came and visited more she could make a friend out of him.

Kyubi tilted his head to the side as he examined her motives, sensing no ill will he decided to tell her **"Calm your mind, let all thoughts pass through without focusing on them. Then when your not thinking of anything concentrate on this place. You won't get it on your first try but if you practice you'll be able to come here quickly."**

Naruko smiled at the fox brightly and gave him a thumbs up, unknowingly using the nice guy pose "Then I'll be sure to come back and talk to you. I don't want you to be lonely here all by yourself." Kyubi could only blink in surprise at the girl's words, she was a human, there was no way she cared. Still her smile was genuine and he once again couldn't pick up any odd vibes. He smiled as she faded away, apparently it was time for her to wake up.

OoOoO

Naruko gasped as she woke up, bright lights blinding her when she opened her eyes. She was laying in a bed and once she could see without fuzzy spots everywhere she realized she was in the hospital. It certainly wasn't her first time here and she doubted it would be her last. She'd been taken here more with each passing year, it seemed like she the villagers were getting more violent as time went on. Maybe it had to do with her getting bigger? The more they saw her, the more anger they felt?

Then she took notice of the fact that she wasn't alone in the room. The man in the ANBU mask had his head tilted to the side as he studied her, his silver hair sticking up at a weird angle. Without a word he disappeared and soon after a nurse came in to check on her. Naruko sat there blinking as the woman quietly examined her. Her head still hurt slightly but she was distracted by trying to figure out if her talk with Kyubi was real.

The door opened again and a man in long white robes with a red and white hat walked in. The nurse stood and bowed to him "Hokage-sama." His aged face crinkled into a smile "How's our patient doing?" The nurse explained that she had no signs of lasting damage and that the gash on her head was already mostly healed.

The Hokage thanked her and she bowed again before she left the room, the older man sat down beside Naruko's bed and looked her over in silence. His eyes lingered on the bandage wrapped around her head, his face blank and expressionless. The young girl looked at her lap and sighed "Am I in trouble?" It was a fair question, she usually saw the Hokage after being caught performing a prank.

The old man chuckled and shook his head "No Naruko, you're not in trouble." She looked up at him slightly surprised as he continued "In fact I came by not only to check on your well being, but to thank you. The young Hyuga girl you saved was very grateful and concerned by your injuries. I suspect Hinata will be by as soon as she hears of your awakening, you made quite an impression on her. The girl's father also stated his gratitude, it seems this was not the first time those boys had singled out one of the Hyuga children."

The young girl still looked confused as she sat there processing his words, finally she spoke up "Ojii-san I need to know. Why do the villagers hate me?" Her voice started low and shaky but soon she found her conviction and her voice steadied "Please don't lie to me this time, I need answers."

The aged Hokage refrained from wincing at her words, keeping a calm demeanor was a prized skill amongst shinobi and they didn't call him the god of shinobi for nothing. "Naruko..." his voice was gentle and laced heavily with kindness "What's gotten into you? Have things gotten worse?"

The girl looked down bitterly, a coldness in her eyes that the Hokage had never seen there before. His mind raced through possibilities as he watched her hands tightly clench the sheets. When she spoke it was with a total lack of emotion "The Kyubi is inside me, isn't it? The Fourth couldn't kill it and so he sealed in me, didn't he? That's why the villagers all hate me, they're scared of the beast inside me."

The words would have stung the old man less if they had been filled with malice and hate. Something about seeing the girl separate her emotions from her words broke his heart as he realized exactly how deep her suffering was. "Who told you?" His voice was quiet and it was all he could do to keep the rage welling up inside him from showing. Someone had broken his law, and in doing so they had broken this child's heart.

The girl sighed, an unusual thing for her as he hands loosened from their white knuckle grip "So it wasn't a dream, I really did talk to the Kyubi while I was asleep." The old man wasn't sure if he felt relieved that no one had broken his law or concerned over the fact that she could communicate with the fox already. He knew the seal was made to allow the biju to merge their chakras but he had anticipated another 5-10 years before they communicated. This girl was advancing faster than anyone had foreseen and he was at a loss for what to tell her.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and it was his turn to let out a sigh, this certainly complicated a lot of plans he had and he wondered what kind of influence this would have on the cheerful girl. He looked into her eyes, eyes that resembled his successor's so much, though the wild nature of Kushina could be seen inside them. "Only those old enough to remember the night of the attack are allowed that knowledge, and none are allowed to speak of it. I had hoped that this would let you lead a normal life and keep you from finding out until you were old enough to handle the truth. I've failed on both those counts and for that I am deeply sorry."

The words hung in the air for a moment as they settled in with all the things the young girl already knew. This explained so much and in a way she was glad that she had been hit on the head so hard. She saw the saddened look on the Sandaime's face and felt a measure of guilt for how this conversation had affected him. An idea popped in her head and a smile graced her face "It's okay Ojii-san, being normal is boring anyway. I'm gonna be a ninja! And Imma be even stronger than you one day, so you better get ready cause I'm coming!" Her grin widened to split her face as she gave him a thumbs up to accompany her lighthearted yet serious challenge.

Hiruzen's expression changed from grim to shocked as he watched Naruko try to console him, was this really the same girl who not even a week ago was dragged into his office for painting tomoe on all the clan insignia's in the Uchiha compound? Finally he chuckled again at the girl's antics, a part of him actually believed her words and looked forward to the day that he could see her wearing the hat. "Well you better get to training then, I won't let you overtake me without a fight."

The two smiled at each other and talked about how hard one actually needs to work to become a ninja. Through it all Naruko remained determined and confident in her ability to rise up to the challenge. Shortly the old man had to leave and get back to the bane of his existence, paperwork.

OoOoO

Hinata had been sitting in the garden of her clan's estate, watching the bees move from flower to flower, collecting nectar and spreading pollen between them. She had a soft smile on her face, the garden had always felt like a safe space for her. It had been where her mother could often be found before she passed away last year. The young girl missed her mother terribly but she did her best to keep quiet about it, Hyuga's were supposed to remain calm and composed at all times. She often struggled with this aspect of her clans expectations, though to be honest there wasn't much that she didn't struggle with. Being the heiress to a prestigious clan came with many high expectations and she always seemed to come short of fulfilling them. In the last year her father had stepped up her training and seemed to grow more and more weary of watching her disappoint him.

She practiced the kata's of her clan's gentle fist style with almost too much grace, the stances were meant to be more stiff and grounded. When it can time to actually hit one of her clansmen she ran into problems. She lacked the will to hurt her family, even those most distantly related to her. Her generous and compassionate nature had no place in the Hyuga clan, much less in the main branch. Her father told her every day that she needed to step up and stand firm, but the compassion in her heart led her to crawling on hands and knees to help others. Nothing she did was good enough, she wasn't good enough.

It was these thoughts that ran through her mind when Ko of the branch family walked up and kneeled before her "Hinata-sama, please forgive the intrusion but we have received word that the girl who saved you is now awake and allowed visitors. I have been instructed to escort you to her by your father, so that you may thank Naruko properly." Ko had been the first on the scene, only a moment after Naruko had lost consciousness. He had been looking for the heiress as it was almost time for her training and had seen the whole incident through his byakugan. It confounded him why the demon brat had gotten involved, but the girl's power could prove a valuable asset to the clan. Hiashi had agreed with Ko's assessment and informed the clan members that if Naruko showed up she was to be welcomed in.

Hinata nodded to her distant cousin and stood quickly, eager to check on her savior and thank her for her selfless act. Though she had little idea why she was saved when it was so clear that she was worthless. "Th-thank you, K-Ko-san." She pushed her index fingers together in a show of nervousness as she followed Ko out of the estate and towards the hospital. The whole way they remained silent and she wondered what she would say to the taller girl and how bad that blow had hurt her. Images of the dark red tainting the messy golden locks flashed through her mind, if Ko hadn't come when he did... Hinata didn't want to think of what could have happened had that been the case.

On arriving at the hospital Ko quickly led the young heiress to the room and stood beside the door. He activated his byakugan for a few moments to check the room before smiling and gesturing for the heiress to approach the door. Hinata rapped her knuckles softly on the white, wooden door and waited for a response, fidgeting nervously. A few moments passed and she began to wonder if Naruko was asleep, maybe she didn't want visitors 'Or maybe she just doesn't want to see me...' the young girl was considering giving up when she heard a voice from within the room "Yo, did someone just knock?"

Hinata jumped, startled by the sound and she pushed the door partially open, peering into the room. Naruko was sitting up in the bed, her hair a disheveled mess with a bandage wrapped around her forehead a couple of times. The light reflected of the mess of hair and gave her an appearance of having a halo. Her eyes only fixed on the patient for a second before she cast them to the ground, a light blush appearing on her cheeks an unknown feeling rising up within her "Uh... Ummm." She found her index fingers pushing against each other again as she stood there, unable to speak.

The girl on the bed beamed at the sight of her and bounced on the bed excitedly "Come in, come in! I'm glad to see you're doing okay!" The indigo haired girl smiled at the enthusiasm and her blush darkened as she slowly walked into the room. When Ko closed the door for her, she jumped and glanced behind to see that he had opted to remain outside the room. She continued to shuffle forward slowly, unsure of herself or why this girl would be so glad to see her of all people but the thought simultaneously made her giddy, scared and guilt ridden 'Aren't I responsible for her being in here?'

When she stopped and finally glanced up, the blonde was looking at her quizzically, studying her as if unsure if she really was okay. Hinata found herself fidgeting nervously under the gaze "Uh-umo... I-I wanted to th-thank y-you..." she winced at how bad she was stuttering but continued anyway "I-I'm... umm... S-sorry you g-got hurt."

Naruko raised an eyebrow, why was she so nervous? No one was ever nervous around her, angry, yes, indifferent, all the time, but never nervous. She pondered if the girl was sick for a moment but discarded the notion "I couldn't just let them be mean to you. Three on one is unfair so I decided you needed backup! Besides their reasons where stupid and they are a bunch of scaredy cats anyway." Naruko spoke confidently as if what she said was the most natural thing in the world "Next time they give you trouble just let me know and I'll be sure to make them regret it!" The energetic child raised her arm to shoulder level, flexed her bicep and grabbed the almost nonexistent muscle with her other arm in a gesture she had seen other do when making promises of their strength.

This girl wasn't even out of the hospital yet and was ready and willing to fight them again. Hinata was confused and awed, yet couldn't help but giggle at the exaggerated display, though she covered her mouth with her hand to be polite. She looked up at the blonde and smiled, moving her hand away as she spoke "S-so you aren't h-hurt to b-bad?" Something like hope entered the girl's voice as she felt a measure of the negativity within her fade.

Naruko waved her hand dismissively "Something as small as them can't keep me down. When I grow up I'm going to be the strongest ninja ever, and I'm gonna take that hat from Ojii-san! I'm gonna be the first female Hokage and then I'll make everyone nice to each other!" The heiress's grin hadn't left her face and she was glad to see the other girl was smiling too. Hinata's admiration for this girl was intensifying and if someone like Naruko truly wished to help the heiress, than maybe, just maybe, there was something worthwhile about her after all.

Hinata let out another giggle but stopped upon hearing Naruko's next words "Wow, you're really cute when you smile Hinata-chan. You should totally do it more often." She nodded eagerly to emphasize her point. For Hinata's part she blushed a dark red and immediately looked at the ground again 'She thinks I'm cute?! Naruko-chan thinks I'm cute?!' She didn't know how to process her feelings, or even what they were but she found herself hyperventilating and feeling dizzy.

"Hinata-chan. Hey, Hinata-chan! Are you okay?!" Naruko hopped out of bed and and leaned in close to examine the girls flushed features. This caused the poor confused girl to faint when she noticed how close Naruko was. Naruko caught the shorter girl and yelled "HINATA-CHAN!" Now she was really worried and looked around the room frantically as she lifted the heiress into her arms. In the process of carrying her to the door Ko burst in, byakugan already active "Help! We were talking and she suddenly got all red and fell!"

Ko had taken the clan heiress from the young jinchuriki and brought her to a nurse. Naruko followed behind all the while asking if she was going to be okay. Many of the adults shot her dirty looks and after a few moments she was ushered back to her own room by a rather angry nurse who very firmly told her to stay in her room before slamming the door shut.

Naruko paced the length of the hospital room, much too concerned for her new friend to sit still. There was a flash of something moving past the window but she thought she just imagined it. A few moments later the same ANBU agent from earlier came in to the room. "Don't worry Naruko, Hinata will be fine. She just had a mild fainting spell." His voice had a touch of amusement in it but for the most part sounded bored. Naruko was confused about what that was and thought that Hinata shouldn't use such a jutsu but instead opted to thank the ANBU agent. He nodded and she thought she saw something weird with his left eye but before she could question it the man was gone.

OoOoO

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind a large wooden desk in his office, a few large stacks of paperwork sat on the right side of it. He finished looking over the last sheet not neatly tucked away, stamped it, and set it atop the nearest pile. He sighed in the kind of relief one can get only from knowing they had worked hard and earned a moment of respite. He leaned back in his chair and debated reaching into his drawer to pull out a certain orange covered book but stopped himself when he sensed someone at the window behind him.

The aged Hokage let out a very different kind of sigh and reached for his pipe and began to tamp it full of tobacco as he spoke "Well, why don't you come in? I'm sure you have something interesting to report." The young ANBU captain hopped of the ledge of the open window and walked around to stand before his commander "You know, there is a door you can use instead of hanging out on my balcony all the time." Despite his words the man felt no bitterness or agitation at his subordinate's tendencies. It was as much a part of life as the leaves fluttering on the wind.

The silver haired man took off his animal mask to reveal another mask, this one simple and black stopping just below his eyes. Despite the mask the Hokage could tell that the man was smiling at him "What would be the fun in that Hokage-sama? Besides I'm getting close to figuring out what you keep in that bottom right drawer."

Hiruzen sweat dropped at his words, remembering the time he had almost been caught pulling out the book he hid there. "I see you still haven't given up on that Kakashi. How long has it been? 2 years, maybe 3?" If only he hadn't blushed slightly, there would have been no reason to suspect anything then.

"I think it's closer to 3 now..." Kakashi dropped his smile, seeming ready to get down to business "The Hyuga heiress visited Naruko, she was just as shy and nervous as usual but something interesting occurred." Hiruzen lit his pipe with a small fire that extended from his thumb and raised an eyebrow at the incoming report "It would seem that the young maiden is experiencing her first crush... on Naruko."

The Hokage choked on his pipe and took a few moments to resituate himself. There were a lot of things he could have expected to hear, this wasn't one of them. He sighed longingly as he turned to look out the window "Young love... I wonder how Hiashi will react when he finds out."

Kakashi found himself curious, if he wasn't the type to be playful about most things he wouldn't ask, but as things were... "Do you have plans to inform him? You could take a picture of his reaction for posterity."

Hiruzen chuckled out a few puffs of smoke "No, the man is far too traditional to be at ease with the news. For now I'll wait and see how this new development unfolds."

Kakashi was glad to hear that, the Hyuga clan head had a strained relationship with his elder daughter as it was. He'd hate for things to become even more difficult for the young heiress "By your order, Hokage-sama."

Despite the formality of his words, Hiruzen could tell he approved. Kakashi was a good man, just eccentric and with a heart shadowed by many losses. His father, his best friend, his love, and his teacher. The man was alone in his suffering, too lost in guilt and duty to fulfill the role he most wanted. The Sandaime decided to give him a truer taste of what he wanted out of life. "I have another mission for you Kakashi, one that has been neglected by many for far too long..."

OoOoO

Later that day Naruko was released from the hospital, and the same ANBU agent she had been seeing all day led her to her new apartment. The Hokage had mentioned something about improving her living arrangements but she hadn't expected this. The place was small and not very expensive but it was a home, more than that, it was her home.

The ANBU agent taught the girl how to use the key to unlock the door before she followed him into the apartment. They took off their sandals in the small entryway way, a door leading to a closet was on the right. The silver haired man opened it "In here you have your two futons, some blankets and a couple of pillows. There's also some cleaning supplies, and a broom on this side of the closet." His bored tone didn't dull Naruko's excitement as she eagerly grabbed the broom and swung it around a few times as if it was a staff. One swing came close to hitting him and he quickly snatched the broom away "You have to be careful swinging things around inside, you're responsible for any damages and messes."

Naruko nodded sheepishly, a light blush on her face as she scratched the back of her head. He nodded at her and returned the broom before stepping into the apartment proper. There was a small kitchenette along the right wall will various cabinets, a fridge and a stove. Centered against the back wall was a small square table, two chairs were positioned to the right and left of it and the apartment's only window was situated there, it passed the edges of the table by a few inches and gave a not so impressive view of the building across the alley. The rest of the room was bare save for a dresser in the back left corner and a door to the left of the entryway that led to the bathroom.

The ANBU agent stayed long enough to teach her how to use the appliances in the apartment and showed her the clothes line in the alley "Now the Hokage will be giving you a weekly allowance, make sure to spend it on food and any of the cleaning supplies first. Next you can worry about clothes as you grow and other side things, though it's generally a good idea to save up some money for emergencies." Naruko nodded to show she understood and he handed her a small stack of money before disappearing.

She glared at the spot where he had been standing 'How is he always doing that?' It was getting late so she put a pot of water on to boil and grabbed a cup ramen out of the pantry. She wasn't sure what it would taste like but she got the feeling it was going to be better than the fuzzy bread and squishy fruit she was used to eating.

As she waited for the water she thought of what the ANBU had told her. She mentioned wanting to be a ninja several times, she was very excited about the idea for some reason. He told her that if she was serious she should pick clothes that were darker in color. The girl protested that there was nothing wrong with her current clothes but when the man replied in his usual bored tone that ninja's need to be sneaky and bright colors are easy to spot she gave it some thought.

Truthfully she had been given a lot to think about over the course of the day and she spent her time eating lost in recalling all she had learned, only losing focus to gush at her newfound love of ramen! She finished her food quickly and made herself seconds. After her meal she broke out the futon with the intent to break it in with its first use, putting an end to a very long day.


	2. Chapter 2 New Friends

A/N: First I just want to thank you all for the favs, follows and reviews! Each time I get notified of that email I feel happy and more motivated to write :) This chapter was originally supposed to take them all the way through to the end of the academy but extra things got tossed in. I decided to end it here as it was already longer than the first chapter and I didn't want to rush through anything to get to the next stopping point. It has been pointed out that my last chapter had some grammatical errors. I tried harder to get things right in this one but I'm sure I still missed some. I also fixed the character tags. I'm not sure why they didn't work the first time but they are there now. Anyway I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and let me know what you thought about it!

CHAPTER 2: New Friends

The day after the hospital visit Naruko awoke, and was completely confused by her surroundings. It took her a few moments to clear the grogginess of sleep from her head and remember what had happened the day before. The child smiled to herself and made her way to the stove to make her first attempt at cooking eggs. The silver haired man had shown her a lot but he left a scroll that was supposed to teach her how to cook food. 'Guess all the other kids my age know how to read already.'

In the end she had browned one side and parts were crunchy with runny gooey bits sliding around her plate. Considering it part of her training, she forced herself to eat it all. Naruko felt disgusted, but at this point she was used to eating bad food so her stomach didn't complain much.

She spent the rest of the morning trying to do the thing that Kyubi had taught her. The girl had way too much energy for this exercise but she kept trying again and again. In her best attempts she could feel calmness and a sense of peace. Frustration started to kick in and soon after her stomach started rumbling. Kyubi would have to wait for her visit, she hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed.

She shoved the money from the counter into her pocket and made her way to the market with her trademark grin. As usual she got glares from all the adults and was ignored by the children. People murmured to each other as she passed but that didn't phase her anymore. To her it was just another day in the village. She wondered which shop she should try first. It was her first time having money and Naruko was very excited.

OoOoO

Two hours later she wasn't in such high spirits. No one wanted to see her, let alone sell to her. She sighed and looked down at the fox mask in her hands. She had stopped in front of the stand and looked at some of the cool designs. Naruko was gonna buy one, but the man started screaming at her and eventually threw a mask at her. He claimed she should take it and leave him alone. So she picked it up and continued down the street. If he was gonna offer her something with his screams it was still in a way better than nothing.

She smelled something delicious and her stomach made noises at her again. She followed the smell and creeped around the edge of the stand. 'Be ready, if he throws something at you then you gotta dodge it. The world's strongest ninja can't be hit by civilians!' she took a deep breath and was about to walk up to the counter when a loud voice boomed "Hey! What do you think you're doing over there?"

Naruko flinched and got into stance to move, eyes cautiously watching the middle aged man who had a ladle pointed at her. He looked at her in confusion 'Alright, when recognition hits, that's when he'll strike. No! The first move might be a feint, watch him carefully.' Then a loud protest from her stomach cut the tension between them. Naruko blushed, and to her surprise the man launched into a belly laugh.

She was about to turn away when his voice called out "Well if you're that hungry don't just stand there. Come have a seat Kid." His smile was warm and his eyes kind, before she knew it Naruko was climbing up on a stool. "What'll it be kid?" he handed her a stiff piece of paper with a bunch of writing on it. 'Crap!' she squinted hard at the different characters and realized it was hopeless when she couldn't even figure out where one symbol ended and the next began.

The man looked at her intense focus and sweatdropped, it's not like he had asked her what the Shodaime's birthday was. This child was definitely the weirdest customer he'd ever had. He sighed and returned to his wide smile "Tell you what, how about I give you some miso ramen!"

Naruko looked up at him, eyes wide and mouth agape "R-ramen!? As in the delicious stuff that comes in those little cups?!" she made gestures with her hands to signify the size of the cups. He merely nodded and walked over to his pots chuckling to himself. This man, this man was not only willing to serve her, but he made ramen!

Naruko sat at the edge of her seat, intently watching his every move. The man would glance over every once in a while, his grin widening each time he saw the child's excited focus. Occasionally he'd shake his head as he turned back to his task. The young girl started to feel anxious, maybe he didn't want her to know the secret to how ramen was made. She looked away and started whistling nonchalantly, attempting to appear disinterested. She couldn't help herself and kept sneaking glances over at the man.

After what felt like an eternity to Naruko the man came over and set a large bowl down in front of her. Drool leaked from the girl's mouth and once again her eyes went wide "N-no way!" the savory smells caressed her nostrils as the artful presentation visible through the rising steam made Naruko's eyes fill with tears. She just sat there and gaped at the bowl in front of her that was easily 3 times the size of the instant ramen packages.

Teuchi was proud of each and every bowl he served to his customers. He put love, care and immense levels of skill earned through years of hard work into each serving. If being able to put a roof over his daughter's head wasn't rewarding enough, this child's reaction made everything worth it. Having no other customers at the moment he just watched the girl's amazement, letting her expression warm his heart. Finally he had his fill and the food had cooled to a more reasonable level so he held out a pair of chopsticks "Here kid, dig in."

Finally she was able to tear her eyes away from the mythical substance before her. She looked up at the man and nodded eagerly as she grabbed the chopsticks. Not pausing to say the customary itadakimasu, she set her mask down on the counter and began to eat at a furious pace. Tears flowed freely down her whisker marked cheeks and she sniffed often to keep snot out of the heavenly substance. To some the display would seem pathetic, disgusting or vulgar. However Teuchi saw it for what it truly was, a compliment of the highest order.

He began to laugh loudly again, the girl looked up at him for a moment but didn't slow her pace. He wiped a tear from his eye with a finger and reached over to grab a napkin for the girl. His hand stopped moving before he could offer it to her when his eyes fell on the mask. The whisker marks, the cautious approach, could she be… Recognition washed over him and when he finally broke his gaze from the mask the girl was staring at him frightfully over an empty bowl 'Does she know?' He quickly donned a wide grin as he spoke "I'll tell you what, since no one has given me a compliment quite like that before. This bowl is on the house, no charge!"

Naruko looked at the man in awe again, were there people other than the Hokage who were this nice? It didn't seem possible but the evidence was right in front of her. She beamed widely at the old man before clasping her hands together and bowing her head "Thank you, Oji-sama! When I become Hokage I'll be sure to tell everyone to come eat here as repayment!"

Teuchi tilted his head to one side as a look of bewilderment crossed his face. "Huh? Sama? Hokage? What are talking about kid?"

Naruko scratched the back of her head while she chuckled nervously a slight blush on her cheeks. "Well, anyone who makes food this good deserves respect. I promised Ojii-san that when I grew up I'd be super strong and take that hat from him."

Teuchi busted out laughing yet again, this time bending over and slapping the countertop "So let me get this straight, you call the Sandaime, Ojii-san. And I get to be Oji-sama?" Naruko nodded, her grin spreading wider. "That's priceless! Wait til Ayame hears about this!" Teuchi continues laughing for another few moments. Naruko interrupts by asking for another bowl and the man happily complies.

This time the two talk as he prepares the food, they learn each other's names and Teuchi indulges her by asking questions about her dream to become Hokage. Naruko finishes the second bowl, consuming it only slightly slower than the first. Teuchi notices Naruko pulling out a wad of cash and she asks how much it costs. He decided to give her a discount and told her it would be 50 ryo.

Naruko looked distraught as she counted her money "Oji-sama, I'm really sorry. I only have 5." She put the bills on the counter and Teuchi gave her a concerned look, each note was marked as being worth 100 ryo.

His eye twitched when he asked his next question "Out of curiosity, how much did you pay for that mask?" he sincerely hoped she wasn't swindled out of vast amounts of money for not knowing what her money was worth.

"I didn't buy it, I was looking at some of the masks and the owner got angry at me. He threw this at me and told me to stay away." her eyes dimmed as she spoke and the man felt his heart break inside his chest "You're the only one who would sell me anything."

Teuchi felt a furious anger for his fellow villagers and slammed his fist on the counter. He seethed in rage, more killing intent than a civilian should be capable of leaking off of him 'Those rotten, no good mother fu-...' his thoughts were interrupted by a whimper and he noticed that Naruko was afraid of him in that moment. He took a few very deep breaths to compose himself "Sorry, this piece of paper here, is worth 100 ryo. Do you see the kanji for it" he pointed to the mark he was referring to.

Naruko shook out of her fear and looked at the symbol he pointed at, committing it to memory "So one of these is more than what I was going to charge you." After a brief explanation of money, he asked how she got the money. She explained her new set up that the Hokage had helped her with 'What was he thinking, entrusting a child to buy her own food.'

Teuchi sighed heavily "I got an idea. If no one will sell to you, then why don't you just tell me what you need and I'll get it for you." Naruko grinned and nodded eagerly, happy that even more of her problems were clearing up. "There is only one catch. I refuse to buy you instant ramen, if you want ramen you come by the stand and I'll make you some. Sound fair?"

Naruko had to think about it for a moment, she would have to leave the house to get ramen. But the ramen was better and she would be in good company. Finally she agreed and Teuchi handed her back three of the bills. He told her to keep them somewhere safe and he'd buy the food with the other two. They bid each other farewell and Naruko walked back to her apartment with a new spring in her step.

OoOoO

When she got to her apartment building she saw Ko making his way down the steps. He gave her a slight smile when he saw her. Naruko took a moment to recognize him and then pointed at him dramatically "You're that guy who took Hinata-chan from me yesterday!"

He hoped that wasn't the only thing she remembered about him later in life, especially given the feelings he suspected the heiress to have towards this girl. He hadn't reported what led up to the faint to Hiashi. The clan head just assumed his daughter was becoming even more nervous and weak spirited. For now Ko felt he would have to let that slide, it was the only way for Hinata to still be allowed to see the jinchuriki.

Breaking from his thoughts Ko responded "Today I'm here to deliver a message for Hinata-sama. The heiress wishes to invite you to the Hyuga estate to apologize for her sudden lapse of consciousness yesterday."

Naruko wasn't quite sure what the big word he used was but figured he meant the fainting spell. Eagerly she agreed and followed the man through the streets of the village. Strangely the dirty looks seemed to lessen slightly in Ko's company. 'Maybe they just don't see me behind him. He is full sized while I'm still fun sized.'

When the two entered through the gate to the Hyuga compound Ko and the guards gave each other a head nod. Naruko noticed everyone had the same eyes and realized this whole place was just for one family. "Woah, it's so huge!" Naruko's head was on a swivel, admiring all the buildings and well kept landscaping around them. Ko smirked as he led the child to the main family's garden, sure that without his training to suppress his emotions he'd be laughing.

Hinata sat knees bent with her feet to one side. A combination of cloud cover and the large tree nearby shaded the area around her while she sat alone in a ray of sunlight. The child had a gentle smile on her face as she watched the flowers flow in the breeze. Naruko thought she looked like a princess, sitting so serenely amongst nature.

The blonde was coming up from her side, just out of range sight. There was only a second of looking at her in awe before she ran up excitedly "Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan!" Her arm flailed wildly in an exaggerated wave as the heiress turned to look in surprise. At the sight of the other girl her face flushed, her heart sped up, and she gulped audibly.

Ko nearly lost his composure, a small smile gracing his features. However internally he was laughing loud enough to wake the dead. The heiress had it bad for the jinchuriki, and so young to be experiencing such strong emotions. He supposed girls matured faster and he wasn't much older when girls started to catch his eye. He supposed it was natural in a way, she had been shut off from so much of life's experiences that now her interests were developing early.

Naruko stopped next to Hinata and jumped in place excitedly "You didn't tell me your house was so big! I probably would have gotten lost on my own!" Naruko was smiling the biggest smile of her life. She'd never been invited anywhere before, and now it was to play with a girl her own age!

Hinata's inner dialogue was something along the lines of 'Oh my god! She's so adorable and happy! She's a ray of sunshine! I just want to hug her and squeeze her! NOOO! BAD THOUGHTS! BAD THOUGHTS! Don't faint again! DO NOT faint again!' Her blush deepened to match the roses in the garden as she spoke "I'm s-sorry Naruko-chan, I shou-should have t-told you."

Naruko frowned, causing Hinata's heart to skip a beat "Don't be sorry Hinata-chan! It's not like you meant anything bad by it, besides I get to play with you now right?!" She was smiling again by the end of the sentence, and the heiress could swear the girl standing before her was shaking with excitement. Hinata smiled and nodded, happy to finally have a friend.

The two played tag, and Hinata showed off her favorite flowers. Naruko and her talked a lot and the two relaxed around each other. The Hyuga girl still would get flustered at seemingly random things, but Naruko figured she was just a bit weird. 'That's alright, if she was normal she wouldn't want to be my friend.' The duo laughed and enjoyed each other's company until it was time for dinner and Ko had to ask Naruko to leave. They promised to meet up again soon and Naruko ran home happier than she could ever remember.

Once she got home she remembered what the ANBU agent had told her about cleaning dishes before she went to bed. It had been some precaution against bugs and so she did her best to clean the pan she used. For dinner she was eating some more of the instant ramen. She felt disappointed that it wasn't as good as Ichiraku's but happy to indulge in her favorite food. She spent the night trying to contact Kurama again but sleep found her before she succeeded.

OoOoO

Things changed a lot in the time after. For starters, she now had friends. Hinata was very shy and nervous but Naruko vowed to work on that with her. In return Hinata was teaching her how to read. Meanwhile Kyubi was just quiet and always tried to keep his distance, ironic considering he was literally inside her.

She tried to respect the different natures of the two, but at times she would push them past their comfort zones. Hinata would faint when this happened, and Naruko was slightly less frantic when she did. Kyubi would call her a brat, or worse give her the silent treatment. She also got to know Teuchi and his daughter Ayame better after the teenager started helping out with the stand.

Kyubi helped oversee her training, and he was a hard sensei to please. Naruko soldiered on as much to finally hear him praise her skill as to be closer to becoming the next Hokage. She had Teuchi buy her training weights but he refused to give them to her until they fit her. Naruko had argued with him but he stood by his idea that using them too early would be bad for her growth. Every week she claimed to have grown enough but when she tried them they were too loose. This usually made Naruko growl while Teuchi laughed. Ayame scolded the two for such childish behavior but the smile on the face betrayed her words.

In a few months time Naruko had learned how to read from Hinata, and likewise the heiress was feeling much more assured in herself. On the day Naruko had finally mastered the written word she convinced Hinata to train with her, saying it would help with the confidence building.

Hinata helped with chakra control exercises and Naruko told her some of the drills she knew from Kyubi.

It was only natural that they should spar as well. Naruko won three matches in a row, but it was too easy. Hinata showed better coordination, timing and speed during the drills. Now that it was time to put it into practice all of that seemed to be hampered by something. Naruko went easy this fourth match, not overtly so but she left plenty of openings. Hinata didn't capitalize on a single one of them. Naruko dropped her guard and the indigo haired girl looked at her in concern "I-is so-something wrong Na-Naruko-chan?"

Naruko narrowed her eyes at the girl across from her. She eeped and flushed, her body fidgeting nervously. "Your stutter proves it!" Naruko pointed at her incredulously "You aren't taking this seriously at all! I've seen you move Hinata-chan, and you should have had no problems landing a hit on me in that last match!"

Hinata gulped and looked down at the ground in shame, her fingers performing their nervous habit of pushing against each other again. "Do you not want me to get stronger Hinata-chan? Am I not worth the effort?" Hinata flinched like she had just been caught by a sharp backhand.

"Th-that's not it a-at all Naruko-chan! I wa-want you to get be-better. I really d-do!" Naruko remembered some things about what Hinata said about her training with her clan. Dots connected in the blonde's head and a picture formed.

Naruko spoke calmly but the fire remained in her eyes "Hinata-chan, if you don't take this seriously I'll be weak. I have no one else to practice with. You are the only one who can help me become strong. If you don't hit me I can't learn, and then when I'm on a dangerous mission I won't know how to defend myself. Is that what you want to happen?" Hinata violently shook her head but her pale eyes still remained focused on the ground.

Naruko frowned "What about Hanabi-chan? When she gets old enough to spar are you gonna hold out on her? Do you want her to grow up thinking that she's strong just because she can beat you and then have to find out against an enemy ninja that she's weak? Do you want to make your sister grow up weak and put her in danger?" the other girl still held her gaze fixed to the ground but her fists balled up in a primal show of frustration.

"N-no! Of course not. I wa-want Hanabi-chan to be strong!" Hinata finally looked at Naruko, tears threatening to fall down her face.

"Then hit me! Hit me Hinata-chan! HIT ME!" with her last words she rushed forward, arm cocked back to deliver a punch to her best friend. She swung and hit air, Hinata had twisted away from the blow and in the same motion launched a chakra enhanced palm strike to Naruko's chest. The blonde immediately coughed up blood and fell backwards with a smile. 'Hinata-chan hits hard' she coughed up more blood as Hinata looked down at her crush, hands over her mouth. She felt completely mortified at what she had just done.

Naruko stood up slowly and struck a pose involving smiling wide and giving a thumbs up. She couldn't remember where she had first seen it but she'd been using it for a while now. "Good job Hinata-chan! If I wasn't so tough already I could be really hurt." she chuckled, careful not to choke on the blood in her lungs.

Hinata cried loudly as she hugged Naruko close, almost knocking the taller girl off balance. She sobbed into the white tshirt as Naruko patted her back and consoled her. Ko watch the scene with a genuine smile. Naruko had just done something that Hiashi had been failing at for years. She taught the gentle girl the importance of using her fists.

OoOoO

Eventually Kyubi decided to teach her the shadow clone jutsu, saying it would speed up her training. The jutsu took her a few days to master, but once she made her first clone she was almost never the only version of herself running around. Even while she slept a clone was up studying. Her progress boomed after that, and by her 7th birthday she stopped pulling pranks to focus more on her training. She stole jutsu scrolls from the ninja library to study and learned the basics of all the ninja arts including fuinjutsu and medical ninjutsu.

Kurama had instructed her to hide her progress, deception being an important asset to a ninja. She agreed but let Hinata see some of her skills, telling her it was their secret. Hinata asked if she would be willing to help her learn medical ninjutsu after Naruko healed a small cut the heiress had gotten during training. Hinata explained with a blush that she wanted to be able to heal Naruko if she got injured. The jinchuriki agreed but admitted to not knowing more than the basics, a truth that meant she would have to find another way later if she wanted to go into more advanced techniques.

During this time Naruko found greater acceptance among the Hyuga clan. The branch family members came to respect her, often treating her as an extension of their precious Hinata-sama. Hanabi treated Naruko as a second older sister, going so far as to call her Onee-chan. The younger Hyuga scolded anyone who bad mouthed either of her siblings. For a two year old she was rather stern, and it threw off anyone who saw it.

Hiashi respected the fact that the girl had caused massive improvements in his daughter's skills. He didn't know how it happened but he felt proud of his daughter when she spared in family training. He even accepted that to the blonde he was Oji-san, though Hinata could never see herself referring to her father in such a familiar manner. Nei however remained unimpressed but kept to himself and his own training, no longer harassing his cousin.

Having spent so much time around the Hyuga clan, Naruko developed her own taijutsu style in secret. Kyubi had helped her work it out but only if she promised to keep it a secret even from Hinata. The nature of it made it horrible for sparing anyway so she practiced it with her shadow clones. The memories of the dispelled clones made her shudder and wince but she pressed on, having decided long ago she would always protect Hinata like she did against the bullies.

Then she turned 8, and she signed up for the academy that would start in 6 months. Naruko became even more excited about her dream of becoming a ninja, especially with her being closer to the time when she could start her formal study. Kyubi maintained that she was more skilled than the average genin at this point, after all he had been teaching her. Naruko fired back that it was his idea to keep her skill level a secret.

She had a plan on how to make it easier as well. She would send him chakra through the seal continuously, thus exhausting her reserves and helping it build up faster. Kyubi would hold onto the chakra and send some of it back to her if she was in danger. This would keep her building more and more chakra for her normal reserves as well as giving her a backup pool to draw on so she wouldn't be reliant on his chakra. Kyubi approved of this method and Naruko could almost swear she heard pride in his voice.

Hinata was nervous about being around all the other kids. She hadn't talked to any kids outside her clan other than Naruko. Naruko reassured her that everything would be okay and that she wouldn't leave Hinata's side. The girl almost fainted for the first time in months but managed to regain her composure. They trained harder than ever and Naruko fought hard against her shadow clones so that Hinata could practice healing. Though Naruko had a hard time explaining why she healed so fast. It was then that Naruko knew the time had finally come.

OoOoO

She marched up to the Hokage's office after leaving Hinata to rest and get ready for dinner. She supposed she could send a shadow clone to do this but this matter was personal. Something she felt must be done by the real her. Everyone seemed surprised to see her, after all she hadn't performed a prank in over a year. The surprise was a nice change of pace from the disdain that was the norm and she smiled to herself as she knocked on the Hokage's door "Come in."

Naruko strode into the room and stood in front of the aged man's desk. "It's nice to see you again Ojii-san." her demeanor was entirely different from when they'd last met, but the smile was still ever present.

Hiruzen's eyes widened for a moment as they took in the girl before him. He checked up on her frequently with his crystal ball but hadn't been face to face with her in some time "Naruko! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Naruko's smile widened at seeing the old man again. She had been busy training with Hinata when he came by her apartment on her birthday. He had left a note and a set of ramen bowls so she knew he had tried to take the time to visit her. It was strange in a way to see the man after a year. He looked no different, still the same kind leader of the village. She was the one who had changed in that time. All the mental experiences from the clones had matured the young blonde. It was partly making up for lost time but she was certain that an 8 year old wouldn't normally feel such nostalgia. "I came to ask you a favor, one I hope you'll grant me."

The Sandaime picked up his pipe and began the ritual of clearing it out as he spoke "Ah, I see. What would this favor be?" His hand tapped the pipe one last time before filling it with tobacco.

She scratched the back of her head in a show of nerves "I need you to let me tell Hinata-chan about my guest. She's recently been studying medical ninjutsu and the wounds I get from training heal too fast to be a good example for her. On top of that she's been a loyal friend and has kept other secrets I have entrusted her with over the past two years." by the end she stood with more confidence but twitches of nervousness could still be seen.

Hiruzen studied the girl, obviously this was important to her. He considered the worst case scenario of Hinata being told. Then how things might play out if she didn't find out until much further down the line. There was also the possibility that this meeting was just a formality and Naruko planned to tell her no matter his answer. He lit his pipe with his thumb taking in a deep inhale. He blew three smoke rings before answering "I'll grant this request, under the stipulation that you come back to tell me how she took the news."

Naruko let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. As relieved as she was the girl was also curious about something "Do you really need me to? Can't you just check in on the situation with that ball of yours?"

The Hokage choked heavily for a few moments. He'd never shown her that! "How do you know about that?" his voice betrayed his concern.

Naruko busted out in a wild fit of laughter with her hand slapping her knee. The Sandaime looked on in confusion for a moment before smirking at the girl almost falling over. Finally Naruko collected herself and wiped a tear from her eye "Wow Ojii-san, I guess you can't keep track of everything with it huh?" Her bright smile brought warmth to his weary soul. "I know by now you've seen me use shadow clones in it. Well I've been using them to study a lot recently."

"So that's how it is…" he exhaled another puff of smoke while the girl finished the last of her chuckling "Then keep up the good work, I expect great things from you Naruko."

Naruko smiled widely and gave him the nice guy pose she was known to use "I warned you Ojii-san, I'm coming for that hat!" Hiruzen smirked at her confidence, unfortunately he knew that he couldn't keep away from the paperwork much longer.

"Well then I suppose this is your first unofficial mission, tell Hinata about your secret and report back to me on the details." Naruko nodded and they bid each other farewell. As she left his office he contemplated how long till he could go back to retirement.

OoOoO

Naruko couldn't sleep that night, and not because a new neighbor was moving in at 1 am. She was really worried about how Hinata would take the news of what she planned to tell her tomorrow. Deep down she knew that Hinata wouldn't abandon her, but years of neglect, hatred, and loneliness had rained continually over that foundation, leaving it unable to set. Now she was trying to build a house of friendship on top of that. The scaffolding was in place but at places it was sinking into the concrete below. The news was a massive earthquake that started under the sea and made its way to their beach. Between the rumbling knowledge of a dark secret kept and the tsunami of fear poised to follow and crash down on the beach property… Naruko never finished imagining what would happen when it hit.

She noticed slits of light cast onto the kitchen floor from her window and sighed heavily. It was morning already. She had spent the whole night just sitting there concerned. The clone she normally had studying spent a good bit trying to comfort her but when Naruko had enough of the halfhearted consolation she dispelled it. She slowly made her way through getting cleaned up and eating breakfast. She was going over to the Hyuga estate before anything else today. If she was going to be thrown back into the abyss of loneliness she was going to get it done and over with early.

Her feet carried her on the familiar route to her friends house. With her hands in her pockets and shoulders hunched the young girl walked past the guards of the main gate. One of them had used their byakugan to ensure it wasn't a genjutsu as she approached. They didn't need the byakugan to see the misery her body language was screaming out to anyone who so much as glanced in her direction. They frowned but didn't say anything, by now all the Huga had abandoned their prejudice against the jinchuriki but that didn't mean they all knew her well.

Naruko found Hinata sparing with her father in the dojo. She watched their match with a slight smile, proud of how far Hinata had come. She felt partially responsible for her current skill level. In the two years since they had started training with each other she had completely gotten over her hesitation to strike. Now she was catching up to Neji's skill though the proclaimed prodigy would never accept it.

Hiashi was holding back but still blocking or deflecting all of her strikes. His own made the heiress wince but she pressed on. The fierceness of the spar increased as Hinata pushed herself further. Hiashi continued to avoid any hit but now he was also having trouble landing any of his own. With a swift twist of her waist Hinata dodged an incoming strike and her own cut through the air, landing squarely against her father's stomach. He bent slightly from the blow and grunted. The smile he flashed when his daughter looked up proved he was fine.

Though incredibly rare Hiashi had actually smiled in front of his daughter on a few occasions. Hinata flushed as he took a step back, they both straightened and bowed to each other signifying the end of the spar. Hiashi took one look at Naruko and nodded, his stern expression seeming slightly sullen. He had guessed the reason for Naruko's early visit today from her demeanor. The ability to read body language was one of the prides of the Hyuga and Naruko wasn't subtle. He approved of the timing though made no mention of it. Instead he dismissed Hinata and left the two alone.

Hinata's flush had deepened when she realized Naruko had been watching the spar. Her training with her father was normally a private affair and today was the first time she had landed a strike. Having Naruko there for it felt fitting but still she was embarrassed. "Nar-Naruko-chan! What br-brings you here s-so early?"

The light drained from Naruko's eyes and her gaze fell to the floor of the dojo. Hinata's eyes widened and she gasped loudly. She had never seen Naruko act like this! On top of that her eyes had bags under them and her shoulders were stiff. 'Oh no! Something is wrong with Naruko-chan. How didn't I notice it right away!'

Naruko spoke up while Hinata was busy with her thoughts "I have something to tell you Hinata-chan. Something I wish I could have told you much earlier." Hinata's expression of worry intensified as Naruko continued "See I only just got permission from Ojii-san to tell you, and I'm worried how you'll take it. I'm worried you'll hate me like the others."

The heiress's look cycled from concern to confusion and settled on indignation "Naruko-chan! You know I could never hate you!" The firmness of her words was uncharacteristic and there was no hesitation before their delivery. No deep breath to steady herself. She had reacted immediately and without thinking.

Naruko's mouth twitched up at the corners in the saddest smile Hinata had ever seen. The fact that it was worn by Naruko made her heart break. In that moment she wanted to hold her crush tight and whisk away all of the blonde's fears. "8 years ago, on the day I was born, the Kyubi attacked. Have you heard that story, Hinata-chan?" the indigo haired girl nodded hesitantly, unsure where this was going.

"It's a very well known story, but the true ending isn't talked about. No one can kill a Biju, they just reform in a couple of years. So they Yondaime did the only thing he could. He sealed it." Naruko paused, struggling with her confession.

Her eyes closed and a few tears spilled down her cheeks. Hinata felt her heart breaking anew at the sight. Her precious Naruko-chan was crying! She never had seen her cry, even when Teuchi had threatened to cut her off from ramen for making a comment on his graying hair.

"The villagers hate me for it, and the other kids get told not to play with me because…" her eyes now opened, revealing the pain in them to the other girl "The Kyubi was sealed inside me!"

Hinata had always wondered why nobody else accepted Naruko as easily as she had. Most people never gave her a chance, and when they walked down the street together everyone glared at her friend. She almost couldn't believe it, but really it explained everything and she lost a degree of respect for the village in that moment. Tears threatened to spill over from the pale eyes as she felt a small measure of the pain that Naruko had been born into.

Naruko tried to give her time to process the bombshell but when she saw the tears of betrayal in the heiress's eyes she lost her hope. With eyes cast down, her voice came out in a whisper "I guess you don't want to be friends with me anymore. I'm sorry, I won't bother you anymore Hinata-chan. Just know tha…"

The sound of feet pounding on the tatami flooring distracted her from her sentence. When she looked up her gaze was blocked by an open palm that slapped loudly against her cheek, the noise echoed through a quiet compound. The force of the blow turned her head, but it wasn't what caused the surprised look on her face. No the shouting was the reason for that "How could you say such a thing! Don't you EVER even THINK that again! I will always be your friend Naruko-chan! So don't you ever let me hear you say you're a bother to me!"

Naruko blinked, her head still turned to the side 'This has to be a dream, there's no way…' her hand reached up and touched her cheek to check and see if there was pain. Her eyes looked at the Hyuga girl in awe. Hinata had her hands clenched into fists and was shaking with rage, tears feel freely from her activated Byakugan. Her eyes seemed to stare into her soul as if looking for the root of Naruko's doubt in her so she could tear it out.

A new wave of tears pushed their way down Naruko's cheeks "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Hinata-chan." Hinata hugged the girl tightly and stroked her hair, spending the next hour comforting the poor girl and reassuring her that all was forgiven. A few of the clan elders wished to use the dojo but Hiashi's death glare and copious amounts of focused killing intent ensured the girls remained undisturbed.

OoOoO

For the second day in a row Naruko was walking into the Hokage's office. Her trademark grin was no longer one born of posturing and nervousness. It had been replaced by one that spoke of confidence and a sense of belonging. She stood in front of the Hokage, and loudly declared "Mission successful Ojii-san! The information was delivered and accepted, couldn't have gone any better!"

Hiruzen smiled warmly, relief spreading over his entire being. The girl that was so often mistreated finally had a true friend by her side. "That's great news Naruko. Tell me what did you learn from this experience?"

Naruko scratched the whisker marks on her cheeks and thought deeply for a moment. There was a lot she could say about the experience. 'The Hokage is a busy man so I should keep this short' She looked out through the window behind him as she spoke "Sometimes it's alright to trust people. Even if you're scared of how they might react, if you never give them a chance then they can't prove themselves. There are people in this world that are filled with so much compassion and kindness that it's almost hard to look at them. At the same time you don't wanna look away because they give off so much warmth and move with an unheard of grace."

Hiruzen chuckled and Naruko found herself blushing for reasons she couldn't place. This furthered the old man's amusement and Naruko saw something for the first time in her life. The old man was actually laughing. It was a hearty and kind laugh that rang off the walls. The sight filled her with such joy that she forgot her embarrassment and laughed with him.

It was a almost a minute before the two calmed down and the Sandaime spoke up "I hereby give you permission to tell anyone who you feel you can trust about the Kyubi. They still cannot tell anyone about it as it remains an S-rank secret. Be careful in who you choose, this law is also to help keep you safe from threats outside the village. There are those out there that would target you for being a jinchuriki."

Naruko shot him a wide grin and nodded her head. After that she excused herself and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Hokage looked on in shock 'The girl sent a clone to talk to me?' The child of Minato and Kushina was certainly an interesting person, and he wondered how she would deal with the challenges to come.


	3. Chapter 3 Academy Days

A/N: This chapter took a bit longer to get done but I hope the additional length makes up for that. I went back and edited Hiashi's name in the other chapter, I type them up on my phone and autocorrect is a cruel mistress. The original techniques that are going to start appearing are translated with Google as I only speak english. Next chapter will see the team formations and the true genin test! Maybe even a bit of training if there is still space.

I want to thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews! Those make me very happy and help motivate me to write this story more often :)

CHAPTER 3: Academy Days

After a long wait Naruko and Hinata were finally joining the ninja academy. Naruko had wanted to join last year, but Hinata insisted she wasn't ready yet. Naruko wasn't about to abandon her best friend so she had put it off for another year. She did push Hinata harder during training sessions so she'd have no excuse the next year. The progress the two had made showed in their spars. The Hyuga had a deep respect for both of their prowess in taijutsu. Hinata had proven herself to be a prodigy and the few clan elders who had talked about Hanabi replacing her as heir were silenced. Every one of the Hyuga that saw Naruko force her chakra to reopen a tenketsu were beyond shocked. It was completely unheard of and this child now managed to do it mid spar like it was the most natural thing in the world. They murmured to each other about how talented the girl was kept her skills quiet when in public. To the rest of the village Naruko remained the talentless outcast.

Naruko had arrived at the Hyuga compound at dawn on the first day of the academy. She rushed immediately to Hinata's room and dragged the sleeping girl out of bed. The blonde had a hard time keeping Hinata awake as she kept passing out after opening her eyes and seeing Naruko shaking her. Finally after much commotion a very tired Hiashi forced Naruko to leave the room and bid her wait by the gate. She grumbled to herself on the walk there "Why do I gotta wait outside?"

Naruko heard a sigh from inside her mind **"You may have learned a lot brat, but you're still a complete dumbass about stuff like this."**

Naruko was used to Kyubi calling her a brat. In a weird way it almost seemed to be an affectionate term. Well most of the time anyway. What she didn't like was him calling her a dumbass without offering any kind of advice. 'Well then explain what happened in there! All I was doing was trying to wake Hinata-chan for school!' Naruko pouted as she walked to the gate.

Inside his cell Kyubi shifted his head slightly in annoyance **"Tsk. Do I have to explain everything to you? You shouldn't go barging into Hinata's room to wake her up."**

Naruko's scowl deepened as she picked up her pace toward the location of her banishment 'Well why not? It's just me, it isn't like I'm a boy or some stranger!'

Kyubi shook his head, disappointed in his host's inability to see what was going on. **"Figure that part out for yourself. I'm not gonna mettle in your personal affairs."**

Naruko threw her hands up in an expression of her exasperation. The guards at the gate gave her a look of slight curiosity. 'What the hell Kyubi?! It's not like I got anyone else to ask for advice!'

Kyubi debated ignoring her but knew from experience he had to give her some response in a situation like this or else she wouldn't leave him alone. **'Why can't the damn brat see the hyuga loves her?'** The fox rolled his eyes and yawned in an exaggerated fashion **"Just be extra nice to her when she gets out here. Now quit bothering me about this I'm trying take a nap."**

Naruko shoved her hands in her pockets and kicked a pebble on the ground. She really didn't like not knowing what was going on with her friend. She played the entire situation from when she entered Hinata's room over in her head. 'Just be extra nice to her huh. Alright I can do that.' The girl smirked, determined to make Hinata happy.

OoOoO

Hinata was feeling rather lightheaded when she opened her eyes to find her father staring down at her with his subtle rendition of a contemplative expression. He had his hand on his chin while he tilted his head ever so slightly to the side. She jumped up with a startled yelp and bowed to her father "Good morning Otou-sama!"

Hiashi brought his hand back to his side and spoke in an emotionless voice "Good morning Hinata. Tell me, did it embarrass you to have Naruko see you in your night clothes?" The man had a theory brewing in his mind, one he hoped could be proven wrong.

Hinata blushed a deep red at being told that not only was that not a dream, and Naruko had been in her room that morning, but her father had come in to stop the whole mess. Overall it was probably a good thing. Repeatedly fainting isn't good for one's health. "Y-yes, Otou-sama."

Hiashi frowned slightly "I see…" he looked at his eldest daughter for another couple of moments. The silence between the two was thick with tension. This caused the young heiress to fidget nervously and revert back to her old habit of pushing her index fingers together. Hiashi had his proof now, though it meant his theory was correct. He would have to come up with a plan to correct the budding problem before it bloomed.

"Hurry and get dressed. You shouldn't keep your friend waiting." The clan head spoke quickly, turned and walked to the hallway door. When he opened it he didn't walk through it right away. Instead the man turned his head to the side and spoke in a level tone "Don't forget the bento you made for the two of you last night. It wouldn't do either of you any good to go hungry on your first day."

Hinata's eyes widened at her father's words 'He noticed I made a bento for the both of us?' Somehow she managed to blush further and bowed again "Yes Otou-sama! Th-thank you Otou-sama!" Hiashi closed the door behind him and made his way to the dojo. He had some things to think about and something about sparing helped his thoughts flow better.

OoOoO

It seemed like an eternity had passed when Hinata finally came walking out with a packed bento lunch in hand and a deep flush on her face. She had long suspected that her feelings for Naruko were strange. She had no other friends to compare the experience to so she watched the friendships between the members of her clan. It was definitely different from the way the others interacted, and not just because Naruko was much more free with her emotions than the Hyuga.

Finally she saw a reaction similar to her own in one of the girls of the side branch. She was happy that she wasn't the only one who flushed when complimented and became nervous around a friend. Then a few weeks later the girl and the boy had officially started their courtship. That event threw Hinata through a loop. A few weeks ago she had come to realize that she had always liked Naruko as more than a friend. Now that she knew the true nature of her feelings things got worse. She would find herself idly daydreaming about holding hands with the young blonde, being whisked away to go on dates, and even kissing her.

The amount of time she spent with red cheeks had increased greatly and Naruko had taken to teasing her for it. She claimed that if Hinata back pedaled into old habits like that then Naruko would overtake her. The first time she phrased it like that Hinata fainted dead on the spot. Life was getting more complicated every day it seamed. Although in her heart she knew that she wouldn't trade her time with Naruko for anything. She just wished she knew how the other girl felt about her.

Now she suspected that her father knew of her feelings as well and that scared her. In ninja villages and big cities throughout the elemental nations gayness was accepted. Some felt more awkward about the subject but they still tolerated it. In some rural areas things could be different for same sex couples but by and large the discrimination wasn't threatening. The problem was that Hinata was the heiress to a prestigious clan. She was expected to marry a man and carry his children to continue the main branch family tradition. Even though Hinata didn't yet know how children were made she still knew that it required a man and a woman.

She greatly feared that her father might try and keep the two apart now that he knew. He was the clan head and responsible for upholding the Hyuga traditions. She knew Naruko wouldn't accept a forced separation without good reason. What if she was told that it was because of Hinata's crush? Hinata had no idea how the blonde would react. She hoped with all the optimism that the other girl had instilled in her that Naruko wouldn't abandon her for her feelings. Even if she didn't she wasn't sure what the two could do to go against the wishes of her clan.

The indigo haired girl walked around the corner of the building and Naruko jumped in the air excitedly as Hinata came into sight "Aren't you excited Hinata-chan? We're going to be ninjas! Yahoo!" Despite her tired, embarrassed and worried state she managed a smile and nodded in agreement. Naruko studied Hinata for a moment "Why aren't you more excited Hinata-chan? Are you sick or something? Here let me feel your forehead."

Hinata shook her head violently "I'm f-fne Na-Naruko-chan, just a bit t-tired still." The stuttering that had plagued the girl's speech was almost entirely gone. It only was at the level it used to be during times when Hinata was really nervous or stressed. Naruko was proud of how far her friend had come, and concerned that her actions that morning had affected the heiress so much that her speech was affected.

After a few moments of thought Naruko decided to change the subject to one where she knew she could praise the girl. "Woah! Is that a bento? It's so big! Did you make all that?" Hinata nodded and her blush that had been fading stopped and remained a light pink. "Awesome, I bet it's full of really tasty food! You know Hinata-chan don't tell anyone I said this, but you could probably rival Oji-sama in cooking skills."

Hinata's cheeks became red at the high compliment and her eyes widened in shock as her head whipped to look at the girl walking beside her. Naruko shot her a huge grin and continued talking "It's true! I bet you brought one that big cause you knew I'd forget to pack something for myself. Hinata-chan is the best! I'm not sure what I'd do without you!"

The excited girl meant every word but based on the fact that Hinata's face was entirely red she figured that it'd be best to stop it there. Anymore and Naruko might have to carry the girl the rest of the way to the academy. It would be good training, even if Hinata didn't weigh much, but it wouldn't make the best first impression on their classmates. Naruko was determined to make a lot of the other students their friends so that Hinata would get more used to being around kids their age. She also liked the idea of having more people to spend time with but for some reason it wasn't as important to her as getting Hinata used to people outside her clan.

For the rest of the walk Naruko hummed joyfully and Hinata watched the girl with admiration. After a few minutes she was able to calm herself down and think about how they would be as ninja. Her clan might have gotten to see how far the jinchuriki came in taijutsu but Hinata had seen so much more. When Naruko and Hinata were training in the woods Hinata had seen the jinchuriki's clones at the edge of her byakugan practicing wind element ninjutsu. She wasn't sure what one specifically but it was strong enough to cut down a tree in one use. She was sure that Naruko had thought her clones were out of range, and she never caught them practicing again. However from that day on she was certain that Naruko was a lot stronger than she let on. Hinata was determined not to fall behind her crush.

They were the first to arrive and took two seats next to each other in the back corner of the room near the window. They watched in silence as the other students trickled in. Most of them weren't anything special to look at, but a few stood out from the pack. Everyone seemed to whisper about the black eyed boy with the gravity defying hair. Apparently he was from the Uchiha clan and a few of the girls in class were already talking about how cute he was.

The instructor came into the class with a clipboard in hand. He had a deep scar over the bridge of his nose that made a few of the kids wince. He seemed to be counting the number of kids before smiling brightly as he addressed the class. "Hello everyone. My name is Umino Iruka, and I will be your instructor for the next four years. Some of you will decide to switch to civilian studies, others might graduate early, but most of you will be in class 103 with me for that time." The man went on to explain what they would be going over in the years to come and his goals to see them all become great ninja by the end of it.

Naruko slouched down in her seat when she found herself getting bored. She looked over to see Hinata sitting properly and giving the man her full attention. Naruko knew the girl had a lot more patience than her and was used to listening to long speeches about nothing from being born into the Hyuga clan. Naruko idly thought that Hinata must be something special to be able to listen so intently to every word. Then again Hinata had proven herself to be special long ago when she was the first one that didn't treat Naruko like a monster. She was a weird girl who blushed a lot and fainted at odd times. However Naruko couldn't help but think she was like a princess. She silently renewed her vow to protect Hinata with all her strength.

When Naruko returned her attention back to the class Iruka had finished his speech. Now he started calling out names and then students would stand up, say something about what they did or didn't like, and finish with why they wanted to become a ninja. "Aburame Shino."

A boy in a coat with a very high collar and sunglasses stood up. A lot of the kids gave him weird looks because almost his entire face was covered. A few of the girls thought he looked mysterious "I like researching new bug jutsu with my clan and dislike when people hurt bugs needlessly. I want to be a ninja so that I can become a strong leader for my clan." He sat back down and any girl that was interested in him was now grossed out.

"Akimichi Choji."

A very round young boy with a bag of chips in his hand stood up up and smiled at the class "I like food and hanging out with Shikamaru…" some of the class was snickering at that comment but Choji didn't seem to notice. If he did he ignored it completely "and I dislike it when people are mean to each other. I want to become a ninja to become strong like my dad!"

More laughter came with those words and Iruka glared at a few of the louder perpetrators before he continued down the list. Naruko had trouble focusing on all the different students but eventually was able to come out of her daydream. "Haruno Sakura."

The girl with the pink hair stood up somewhat shyly and Naruko thought that she kinda reminded her of Hinata. "I like flowers and Ino-chan. I dislike when people make fun of others. I joined the academy to become a good kunoichi and make my father proud." She sat back down without anything else notable happening.

"Hyuga Hinata."

Hinata stood up and Naruko could tell so many eyes on her were making her uncomfortable. "I-I like Naruko-chan and pr-practicing my clan's taijutsu. I dislike wh-when people are m-mean to Na-Naruko-chan. I want t-to be a ninja so I c-can help protect Naruko-chan and my cl-clan." as Hinata sat back down Iruka gave her a warm smile before continuing to the next name.

Naruko was surprised that Hinata wanted to protect her. In a way it made sense but Naruko never thoughts of herself as someone who needed protection. Imagining Hinata standing up to bullies for her made her smile. She felt pale eyes on her and shot the girl an even bigger smile. The heiress blushed and smiled weirdly as Iruka called out another name "Inuzuka Kiba."

A boy with red markings on his cheeks jumped up "Alright finally! I like dogs and training with my clan. I dislike cats and people who get in the way all the time. I want to become a ninja to be the strongest in my clan!" he nodded, pleased with himself and plopped back down into his seat. Iruka chuckled before continuing down the list.

Naruko decided that on her turn she was going to make an even bigger impression on the class. Maybe then she and Hinata could make some more friends and have even more fun. Though Hinata would always be her best friend no matter how many other cool people she got to hang out with. "Nara Shikamaru."

The boy with his head down on the desk flinched but made no move to stand up. Choji was sitting next to him and gave him a nudge. The boy mumbled something then raised his head off the desk but neglected to stand up "I like sleep, cloud watching and hanging out with Choji. I dislike most things, including troublesome introductions like this. I'm becoming a ninja because if I didn't my mother would raise a big fuss and I'd find that troublesome." The class was almost unanimously unimpressed with the boy.

Iruka continued down more names as Naruko considered how often she would be bored in class. She had spent a lot of time reading up on jutsu theory and the minor ninja disciplines. She didn't focus much on world history, but plenty of the scrolls she read had bits of knowledge about important figures that had made advancements in their favored form of combat. Just then Iruka called out another name "Uchiha Sasuke."

Everyone in the class knew the name Uchiha, they were a prestigious clan and ran the police force of the village. Naruko had come across the name a lot in her studies as the clan had a habit of producing exceptional ninja. A couple of the girls giggled as the pretty boy with the gravity defying hair stood up "I like tomatoes and training. I dislike how busy my brother is and I am becoming a ninja so I can become stronger than him." He sat back down and more of the girls giggled. Naruko rolled her eyes at the display.

"Uzumaki Naruko."

It was finally her turn! She jumped up onto her chair and set one foot on the desk "I like training and hanging out with Hinata-chan as well as Ichiraku's Ramen! I dislike how long it takes ramen to cool and how stuffy the Hyuga clan can be." She extended her arm out into a thumbs up as she said the next line with an impossibly wide grin "I'm going to become the strongest ninja the world has ever seen and take the position of Hokage from Ojii-san!" Hinata blushed partly from embarrassment at her crush's antics and partially in admiration of her confidence.

As for the rest of the class, half looked at her like she was crazy and the rest immediately started laughing. "What a joke, a girl becoming Hokage!" "If anyone here is going to become Hokage it's probably Sasuke!" Sasuke blushed at that last statement. Naruko hadn't expected any of them to believe in her dream so she wasn't disappointed.

Iruka was about to yell at the class to be quiet when a wave of killing intent passed over the room. Everyone quit laughing and looked back in horror at the girl with her byakugan activated. Shy little Hinata was somehow staring down the whole class at once. The fact that she had been stuttering through her introduction a few minutes ago somehow made her demeanor now all the more frightening.

It took Naruko a moment to realize what was going on as none of the killing intent was directed at her. She and Iruka simultaneously sweatdropped while a few of the kids came close to pissing themselves. Naruko hopped back into her seat and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder "Calm down Hinata-chan, I didn't expect any of them to believe me anyway." Hinata's eyes widened and her byakugan deactivated as she blushed a deep red.

Before the class could comment on the scene Iruka cleared his throat and spoke up "Now I heard some of you comment that a woman can't become Hokage. While it is true that no woman has become a kage yet, there have been woman of kage level skill. In fact the position of Yondaime Hokage nearly went to a woman." some of the class seemed completely surprised by this as Iruka continued "If you underestimate an enemy shinobi on the battlefield just because of their gender or age then you can easily get seriously injured or killed."

The class contemplated that in silence for a moment before Iruka continued "Now let's get back to the introductions, Yamanaka Ino."

Ino stood up and smiled demurely at the class, particularly Sasuke "I like fashion and shopping. I dislike getting my clothes dirty. I want to be a ninja to learn my clan's jutsu." she gave a flourished bow before sitting down with a cocky grin.

With the introductions completed Iruka turned their attention to the more mundane areas of study. Naruko looked up at the Hokage monument out the window and pictured her face up there. Though she had trouble deciding what age she would be when she took on the title. She'd probably have to do it soon or else Ojii-san might have to pass it on to someone else before her and then she'd have to wait a really long time for them to retire. She resolved not to let that happen and smiled at the mental image of a slightly older her up on the mountain.

OoOoO

The rest of the day at the academy had been uneventful. They hadn't really done anything ninja-ish because Iruka had a ton of lectures to give. Naruko understood that knowledge was important but everything said that day was either completely basic or irrelevant to actual ninjaness. At least that's how she felt about the situation. Hinata reminded her that not everyone had clans to learn from or a special friend to act as a sensei.

Hinata had for the most part gotten used to the idea that Naruko had the Kyubi sealed inside her. It had been a little over four months now of them calling him her special friend so as not to alert anyone within earshot who didn't already know. From what Naruko told her the Kyubi was rather quiet but he had an interest in training the girl after she had won him over. Hinata saw Naruko's ability to win over a demon to her side as a sign that the girl would eventually be able to gain the respect of the village. She felt a new sense of respect for her crush whenever she thought about how hard having the Kyubi sealed inside her had made her early life. The girl had never lost her drive to do good and protect the village and even turned her situation around into an advantage.

Hinata had gotten permission the day before to train with Naruko after class so they stopped to eat at Ichiraku's. They were surprised to find that Teuchi and Ayame had a celebration set up for them. They had gotten both girls gifts and told them that the ramen was on the house today. Naruko had excitedly eaten 4 bowls in the time it took Hinata to eat two. Hinata wasn't as exuberant of an eater as Naruko but she still ate a lot for a child so small. While they ate the four talked excitedly about the pair being on the path to becoming ninja.

Naruko wept tears of joy when she saw the ankle weights she had coveted for so long. They were sewn into cloth that disguised them as dark red leg warmers with Kanji spelling Ichiraku's embroidered on the back. Teuchi had proudly stated it was so the ninja she leaves in the dust could know where she got her energy from. It matched her new color scheme she had decided on perfectly. Red was in honor of Kyubi, her first sensei. The black was to represent the shadowy path of the ninja.

Hinata received a collection of scrolls on medical ninjutsu ranging from basic techniques all the way to the most advanced ones that weren't forbidden or secret. They came sealed in one small scroll that fit neatly inside the state of the art ninja first aid kit that they had also gotten her. Hinata had politely commented that it was too much but Ayame insisted that as long as she learned every technique in them it would be worth it. Besides they knew she would use it to help Naruko so it was in a way for the both of them. Secretly it was also their thanks for the heiress's loyalty to Naruko who they had come to view as an extension of their family. They knew that being friends with the Jinchuriki was likely to keep the other children away.

Both girls received a complete set of blunted training kunai and shuriken. They excitedly strapped them on to their hips and legs. They took turns practicing drawing the weapons for their eager audience and Hinata couldn't remember ever being that excited. The young trainees thanked the pair profusely and promised to make them proud at the academy.

After they were finished celebrating Naruko and Hinata trained together for a few hours. Naruko wore her training weights and when Hinata inevitably injured her they would pause for Hinata to try and heal the injury before the blonde's chakra could get the chance. The two girls lay panting on the ground next to each other. They both wore smiles as they thought about how much longer they would be able to go the next day.

OoOoO

At the academy they were quickly considered the weird kids and being avoided by the others. Naruko was slightly disappointed but Hinata didn't seem to mind at all. The pair spent all day every day with each other, only splitting off for Hinata's personal training with her father before dinner. Naruko showed up at the clan gate every morning so they could walk to school together.

Sasuke had a growing fanbase and they kept all the other kids from getting close to him. His shyness was quickly overshadowed by his annoyance with the girls. They only liked him because he was from the Uchiha clan. None of them knew him yet they all found an excuse proclaim their love loudly every day. After the night of the Uchiha massacre he became even more quiet and withdrawn. Often brooding and never smiling anymore. Naruko decided to put her plan into action! She challenged Sasuke to fights all the time, declaring him to be her rival. She stuck to taijutsu and never took off her weights for the fights. This kept them fairly even much to Sasuke's chagrin, he quickly intensified his training to try and pull ahead of the girl.

Naruko studied fuinjutsu with a passion and talent she couldn't explain. She "borrowed" every scroll on the subject that the village had. Even the ones not available to those below the rank of jonin would vanish for a few hours before returning. Having copies of all of them now gave her a library of sorts, but after committing the knowledge to memory she destroyed her creation so as to avoid being caught stealing. Even if she gave the scrolls back and was going to use the knowledge in service to the village she wasn't even supposed to know about their existence.

Naruko hid her ninjutsu and fuinjutsu abilities during this time and purposefully failed the written tests. She was barely passing the class on merit of her top notch taijutsu and weapons skills. The other kids made fun of her for being stupid but when Hinata felt they took it too far she silenced them with killing intent. Everyone was scared of Hinata. Even Iruka was slightly taken aback by her when she was being protective of Naruko, and he was never the target!

As much as Naruko was Sasuke's #1 rival, Hinata was not far behind when they did practice spars for taijutsu training. She was also neck and neck with him for position of top in class. Sasuke pushed himself to new limits to keep the girls from overtaking him in skill. Hinata was surprised at how his attitude had changed towards Naruko's challenges. He greeted them with determination instead of apathy or boredom. The boy still insulted Naruko every time calling her a dumbass. Naruko always called him a duck-ass in reference to his hair. Every time she acted really fired up claiming this time she'll beat him without contest. She never took off the weight which now had added resistance seals on them to make every movement harder not just the ones against gravity. The seals also worked to increase the "weight" she experienced.

Hiashi hadn't said a word about what he had uncovered of Hinata's feelings. The man poured himself into training himself as well as pushing his daughter harder in hers. Hinata found the extra bruises painful but it was nothing she couldn't heal. In a way she was grateful for the chance to practice her medical skills more often, and it developed her fighting skills at an increased rate.

Hinata studied the scrolls on medical ninjutsu hard each day, trying to reach the goal of becoming an expert medical ninja by graduation. It kept her up late each night studying but in the end it would be worth it. As she got into the more advanced scrolls she found different ways to affect an opponent's body with her chakra. Suddenly her gentle fist was in a class of its own, though she didn't show that in spars with her clan. She wanted to master the traditional arts first before she let her father know she had fused intimate medical knowledge into the clan teachings. It wasn't traditional for a Hyuga to be a medical ninja, but Hinata was confident that after she was done creating her style the elders would have to admit it was a valid path to take.

During this time Naruko became acquainted with her next door neighbor. The man had oddly familiar silver hair and always wore a mask that covered most of his face. His Leaf Village forehead protector was always covering his left eye. Naruko thought he was a really weird man but the flak vest meant he was at least a chunin.

He would be outside his apartment every morning when she was on her way to Hinata's reading Icha Icha Paradise blatantly for the whole world to see. She honestly didn't care too much about that, but the pervert tried talking to her every day. His tone was cold and disinterested yet without fail when she passed the man would ask her what she thought the weather would be like today or some similar small talk. At first she answered honestly and continued on her way, not wanting to be late to meet Hinata.

After a few weeks he still engaged her every day and something about the man started to rub her the wrong way. She snapped one morning and told him off, calling him out on his weird perverted behavior of reading porn outside his apartment and trying to make conversation with a prepubescent girl. He made a lame nonchalant excuse for his reading habits and said he was just trying to be neighborly in talking to her.

The next day he was in his usual spot leaning against the second story railing and called out when he saw the blonde coming out her apartment. He never looked up from his book "Ah, good morning Naruko-chan. What do you think the weather will be like today?"

Naruko's eye twitched as she locked her door but she kept her voice mostly calm "I'm not sure Pervert-san, why don't you tell me? You've been out here longer than I have." She hoped pretending that pervert was his name would dissuade him from talking to her.

The man smiled under his mask and shook his head "Such disrespect for your elders, Naruko-chan. That is no behavior befitting a lady." his voice was slightly amused but it seemed smug to Naruko.

She scoffed loudly "You're one to talk about inappropriate behaviour. Besides I don't care about what other people think!" Naruko pocketed her key and started to walk past him.

"Oh really? Then why do I hear you yelling about becoming Hokage every other night?" he had her there. She often yelled a reminder of her goal as she slapped her face to help herself stay focused on the more boring aspects of her study.

She growled and rounded on him angrily "Why are you listening in through the walls? Pervert-san! You're not gonna hear anything to your liking so you might as well stick to your disgusting books!" she felt confident that that oughta shut him up.

He lazily rolled his eye to look at her "The walls are thin and you yell loud, Naruko-chan. I couldn't avoid hearing it if I tried." he returned his gaze to his book and waved a hand dismissively "Besides you aren't my type. You're much too young and I prefer brunettes anyway." Naruko fumed but only uttered "Stupid Pervert-san." as she walked off towards the stairs.

Kakashi silently wished he could come up with something better to help support the child. It was too late for him to try and take on a parental role in her life and he felt that he wasn't really cut out for that anyway. He was really out of practice talking to people, especially kids. Now he was stuck in this routine with the girl. He didn't dare tell her that he knew her parents for fear of how she might react. Not only would she shut him out for not being there for her, she might ask who they were and he wasn't allowed to share that information.

He sighed and closed his book, taking one last look at the girl making her way down the street. At least he knew she was safe. The Sandaime gave him exclusively short missions because he encouraged the idea of the jonin watching over his sensei's child. With him living next door, any villager or ninja with a grudge would be dead before making it into her apartment. Really it was sad but this was the best that he could think to do for her.

OoOoO

By the day of the graduation test Naruto had secretly become a grand seal master, and Hinata was an expert medical nin second only to the great Tsunade herself. Sasuke had no such specialization but could have probably graduated two years early if his competitiveness hadn't forced him to abstain from taking the test early like Iruka had recommended. He would never admit it but the two girls had driven him to heights of skill that he wouldn't have been capable of otherwise. Hinata had received similar counsel from her sensei about early graduation. She had declined as staying with Naruko was far more important to her.

The entire class had arrived early in anticipation for the exam. Hinata and Naruko made their way up to their usual spot in the back corner. No one wanted to take the seat of one of the two weirdos so they never had to worry about getting seats next to each other. Though the seating situation had become more open as a few kids dropped out of the program over the years. There were far fewer fangirls following Sasuke now as they hadn't focused enough on their studies. Now the remaining girls made an effort to disrupt lectures less often and some even practiced harder outside of class.

Iruka arrived 10 minutes early and noted that everyone had quieted when he entered the room. He decided to start now since everyone was there already. The scarred man explained that the test would be broken up into 5 segments, taijutsu, marksmanship, stealth, required jutsu, and a written test. Each would be worth 10 points and at the end they could show off any skills that they felt set them apart for a bonus of up to 10 more points. 30 points was the bare minimum to pass and failure to perform the three required jutsu would also result in being held back another year.

Naruko did some quick math and figured she could easily achieve her goal of being dead last. Kyubi had told her to hide her skills and so being seen as the weakest among her peers was the true test she had before her today. She proceeded to throw the written test on purpose. During the stealth portion of the exam she fell out of the tree she was hiding in after 5 seconds. Then replaced the normal clones she was incapable of with shadow clones without mentioning it the sensei. After all it's not like they expected shadow clones and none of the chunin here had a byakugan to tell the difference. When asked if she had any special skills she went on a childish rant about how they were only on a need to know basis and her super secret skills wouldn't be so easily stolen. Iruka was beyond irritated with her, but the other examiners told him to let it go.

Needless to say, Sasuke and Hinata achieved perfect scores in all the tests. Hinata showed more skill in the Taijutsu and marksmanship portions. In return sasuke demonstrated greater stealth and created more clones for the jutsu segment. The entire class eagerly watched the bonus round to see who would give the more impressive showing and break the tie.

Sasuke was up first and flashed through a set of hand seals "Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!"(Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique) a large amount of flames shaped like the giant head of a dragon formed in front of the boy and rocketed at a nearby tree. The wood was reduced to ash in seconds and one of the chunin had to use a Suiton jutsu to put out the surrounding trees. The fangirls screeched loudly about how great Sasuke was for a full minute. After Iruka could hear himself think again he spoke up "Well done Sasuke! Not only was that an elemental ninjutsu, but it was B rank one at that!" Sasuke grinned smugly and walked back to his place with the other students. 'I may be almost out of chakra, but there is no way Hinata can top that. I win!'

A few other people went between Sasuke and Hinata but they didn't receive much attention from the class. With it finally being her turn the Hyuga heiress walked forward and pulled out a kunai. Her back was turned to her classmates while the instructors had her full attention "I've done this before, so don't freak out too much sensei." Before Iruka or the others could ask what she was talking about she lifted her left arm to chest level and stabbed the limb 4 times with her kunai. The instructors balked at the self inflicted injuries, not having expected anything like this. Within 5 seconds her other hand was glowing with the mystic palm technique and she had the wounds healed in another 30 seconds.

One of the Instructors stood up abruptly after a moment of stunned silence "Nope! I'm done. I've seen enough today. These genin are doing things they should have no way of knowing how to and I'm fucking done. Nope!" His words got quieter as he walked further away, but none of the other instructors took any action to stop him. Iruka finally recovered from his slack jawed state and managed words "I-you-how… Great job Hinata! Where did you learn medical ninjutsu from? And performing it with such ease on yourself? Simply remarkable!"

Sasuke felt very small in that moment, like he had failed the exam despite his entirely perfect score. His stomach twisted and he couldn't believe that the girl had just performed medical ninjutsu. That was supposed to take years of training, extreme chakra control and even then performing it on oneself through the pain was a hard feat to master. The girl wiping the red streaks from her arm proved what his eyes had seen and he felt furious at himself for thinking his glorified fireball was something special.

The students returned to the classroom with instructions to retake their seats. Iruka stood at the podium after posting a paper on the wall behind him. With a large smile the man cleared his throat and began talking "I'm proud to say that all of you passed! I know a few students from the beginning of our years together didn't make it this far, but those of you that did put in the effort and are now genin. In an unprecedented event the place for rookie of the year is tied with perfect scores between Sasuke and Hinata! I will be waiting by the door to hand you all your forehead protectors on your way out. If you wish to see your exact score the paper behind me will tell you how you and your classmates did. After you are dismissed you are expected to go submit your ninja registrations. Tomorrow you shall come here for the last time to receive your team assignments. I wish all of you good luck in your careers as proud leaf shinobi!"

With that the man walked to the exit and the students burst into activity. The fangirls rushed Sasuke to shower him with praise for his title. For his part he stared off into space and walked out of the room, absentmindedly grabbing the forehead protector on his way out. A few other students rushed over to the paper to see how they did with mixed reactions. Naruko decided it best to give them a moment to clear out while she bounced excitedly in her seat. Hinata was sure no other student in academy history had been this excited at the idea of being dead last in the class.

When the group finally cleared out Hinata followed Naruko up to the list and smiled at the blonde when the other girl started jumping in the air. Iruka's eye twitched and a vein on his forehead throbbed at the girls reaction. She had never taken class seriously and it irked him that she was so excited to be last in her class. Didn't she want to be a good ninja? Why didn't she do the extra credit? He had given up his hatred for the girl years ago but he still didn't understand her.

The two girls walked up to Iruka as he unsealed two forehead protectors from a scroll "Congratulations on making rookie of the year Hinata. Maybe after you make chunin we can talk to Hokage-sama about getting you in here to teach medical ninjutsu to the students." The heiress blushed and thanked her sensei as she accepted the symbol of her graduation.

The instructor turned his attention to his other remaining student "As for you Naruko. May I ask why you were so happy to be last in your class?" His tone clearly expressed his frustration with the jinchuriki. She winced and chuckled nervously as her hand scratched the back of her head. She had slipped in her act by showing her excitement earlier and honestly she didn't know what answer to give him.

"Um… I was proud that my combat skills received perfect marks?" The real reason went deeper than her plan of deception. Over the past few months she had done some research on how teams were formed in the past. It seemed that that rookie of the year, top kunoichi, and dead last were a historic staple of team building. Knowing that Hinata was definitely going to be the top kunoichi Naruko had done her best to ensure she would end up on a team with her best friend. The excitement of not having to be separated from Hinata had broken through her mask and made it obvious to Iruka that something wasn't right.

The man sighed as he handed over the metal plate attached to the black fabric. "While I am very proud of your practical skills I wish you had paid more attention to my lectures and practiced stealth more. There are many aspects to being a ninja and it isn't all straight forward fighting. Hopefully your jonin sensei will be able to drill that into you." He felt her written test scores were his greatest failure as a teacher. He hadn't been able to engage her in the curriculum and so she had spent many of her days staring out the window or napping. With his next class he vowed to do better, he would find a way to get everyone involved and learning!

The two girls bowed to their sensei before rushing outside. Waiting for them there were the Ichirakus, Hiashi and Hanabi. Naruko eagerly held up the fruits of her labor as Hinata tied hers around her forehead. Teuchi and Ayame clapped and cheered for the two while Hiashi gave a slight smile and nodded his approval. Hanabi was unable to keep the stoic act up any longer and screamed out "Congrats Onee-chan!" as she rushed forward to hug her older sister.

Hiashi sweatdropped, he had worked so hard on teaching the girl the proper way to comport herself in public. He didn't disrupt the celebration though as he was very happy to see his two daughters smiling so brightly. 'If only their mother were alive to see this.' He pushed the sad thought from his mind with an ease that came from years of practice and watched the other 5 talk excitedly and hug each other.

The group headed over to Ichiraku's for a special celebration with Teuchi playfully teasing Hiashi for coming along. The proud Hyuga commented on the importance of properly acknowledging his daughter's achievements. He didn't need to be told that she was rookie of the year. He knew how capable she had become after Naruko had gotten her to take training seriously.

From the side of the road Mizuki watched his plans crumbling. Not only had the girl not failed, but he couldn't try and trick her with the Hyuga clan head around. He didn't like his options but he'd have to fly solo on this mission. "I'll steal that damn scroll myself then!" he grumbled as he walked off to plan his heist. Nearby a squirrel ran down the tree trunk and followed after him.

OoOoO

A flash of green sped through the dark trees, quickly followed by another a few seconds behind it. The white haired chunin jumped off another branch and growled in frustration. He was being tailed by his former colleague and he would soon be within range of the other man's weapons. With the giant scroll on his back Mizuki couldn't reach the fuma shuriken under it. He had an idea that would have to suffice instead. He twisted in mid air and landed facing his soon to be opponent "Do you really think you can stop me Iruka?"

Iruka jumped on the tree branch Mizuki had been on just moments before. He readied a kunai just in case as he gave a reply "Come on Mizuki. Surrender peacefully and hand over the scroll, I'll put in a good word and maybe Hokage-sama will go easy on you." The scarred man really didn't want to fight his colleague of the last 4 years. They had started as new instructors together and he had grown to see him as a friend.

"That walking corpse is never gonna see me or this scroll again! By the time I come back to this shithole I'll have mastered every jutsu in here! But don't worry Iruka, I left you a going away present!" the smirk on his face grew wide as his shouting no longer covered the fizzing sound of the explosive notes under Iruka.

The loyal chunin tried to jump but his leg was still caught in the blast and was badly burnt. Worse yet he was too distracted by the pain to immediately notice the shuriken Mizuki had thrown at him. He couldn't dodge in mid air so he deflected 5 out of the 8. His other leg took two to the thigh and one caught him in the left shoulder. This wasn't good. He had tried to reason with the man and in doing so had let him get a surprise attack in. "Damnit!"

Iruka landed on a nearby tree branch but his injuries almost made him lose his balance. He examined his surroundings looking for something that could help him. Mizuki laughed and hung the scroll off a knot on the tree he's standing on "You made this too easy Iruka. You have no right to call yourself a chunin!"

Iruka pulled the shuriken out of his body as his opponent grabbed one of the large fuma shuriken off his back "This time you won't have such an easy time blocking!" The white haired man launched the weapon at his target.

Iruka threw the shuriken he had taken out of his body and dropped from the tree. Mizuki jumped out of the tree, speeding towards the other man. A knee connected to the scarred nose of the falling chunin, breaking it with a loud crunch. Iruka is sent plummeting to the ground and tumbles painfully for a few seconds. He cursed under his breath while trying to push himself up into a crouch 'It's no good! Even if I get up I can't dodge with my legs like this.'

As Mizuki lands he took hold of his spare shuriken from his back and began to spin it rapidly "This time you die!" Just as he started to cock his arm back he sensed something coming from his side. He ducked just in time and a kunai embedded itself in the tree a few feet away. 'What the… Did Iruka do that? No he didn't have time.' The man snarled out "Who's there!"

A laugh came from a high up tree branch and Mizuki tossed the shuriken at the noise. Suddenly he saw Naruko falling backwards off the tree with with the caught weapon in hand. "You shouldn't throw things like this so eagerly, Mizuki-sensei. Someone could get hurt." The girl landed on the ground with a large grin.

Iruka blinked a few times figuring he must be seeing things. Meanwhile Mizuki's eye twitched in irritation "Get out of here demon! This doesn't concern you!"

Iruka shoots Naruko a concerned look, hoping the girl wouldn't put too much thought into why she was called a demon "Naruko! Mizuki stole the scroll of sealing and is trying to defect. Forget about me and him, just get the scroll and run!" Iruka managed to stand up despite the pain and held up a kunai defensively.

Naruko looked at him with concern, immediately recognizing that he's in no condition to fight right now. "Are you really fighting Iruka-sensei over a scroll?"

Mizuki considered his options for a moment. He needed to somehow distract the brat long enough to kill either her or Iruka and get the scroll. "That scroll holds lots of cool jutsu Naruko. If you help me I'll teach you how to use them and I'll even tell you why the whole village hates you!"

"Mizuki no!" Iruka took a half step forward before wincing in pain. The situation wasn't looking good at all. There was no telling how Naruko would react to the knowledge that…

"You mean because of the Kyubi right?" both adults stared at the girl in shock and simultaneously thought 'She knows?!' Naruko grinned widely and spun the fuma shuriken in her hand menacingly "If I really wanted that scroll I could just kill you and take it. It wouldn't be that hard."

Mizuki growled in anger "Who told you?!" he was sick of this girl not going along with his plans. "Doesn't matter! I'll just kill you and…" Naruko made a seal with her free hand "Fuinjutsu: Tatsumaki Shageki"(Sealing Technique: Shooting Tornado) The kunai behind Mizuki emitted a moderate sized tornado that cut into him and knocked the man up into the air. Naruko took careful aim and tossed the shuriken with her other hand. It connected with one tip deeply embedding into each of his legs.

Iruka watched dumbfounded as before the man had a chance to hit the ground Naruko connected a kick to his head. The traitor was out cold and Naruko winced at the man's bloody form. She turned to Iruka. "Stay here and try to patch yourself up. I'll dispel to let the boss know what's going on. She'll definitely send someone to help out her favorite instructor!"

Iruka was about to ask what the girl was talking about when she disappeared in a poof of smoke "Sh-shadow clone!" As unlikely as it sounded it was the only explanation. He smiled as he thought of how many skills the girl had just displayed in the span of a minute. A strong strategic mind, reflex good enough to catch a fuma shuriken, fuinjutsu, and the shadow clone technique. The man spent the rest of the time as he waited for reinforcements contemplating just how strong his secretly favorite student was and how honored he felt to have been her sensei.

 _ **EDIT: For some reason Jutsu weren't underlined**_.


	4. Chapter 4 Pervert-sensei

A/N: I'm gonna start putting the author's note at the bottom after this chapter. When I go through the earlier chapters to update grammar I'm going to make a few things more clear. Nothing about the story will be changed. It was just brought to my attention that I was too vague on certain points. So quick rundown of facts: Kakashi started talking to Naruko when she was 8, Ichaicha can translate to "make out" or "flirt" and that's how Naruko decided he was a pervert, the scrolls she studied were stolen from the ninja library, higher level skills came from the restricted section, and I think that was all. Enjoy the chapter!

CHAPTER 4: Pervert-sensei

Only three people were in classroom 103 as the clock read four. Sasuke sat in his normal brooding pose near the front of the class. His usual blue and white outfit seemed to contrast with the black headband of his new forehead protector. Somehow he seemed even more troubled than normal. He muttered under his breath occasionally but the words were lost to the room's other occupants.

Hinata sat at the back of the classroom nervously playing with the hem of her black T-shirt. Underneath she wore a set of long sleeve mesh armor. Her dark purple shorts reached to just above her knees, and more mesh armor could be seen going down to her black sandles. The outfit was Naruko's idea to offer protection, and to not leave anything loose for an opponent to grab.

Hinata had selected the dark purple to go along with the black in an attempt to remain stealthy while still incorporating her favorite color. She was unused to not having her oversized jacket and found herself missing it. Though she had often been grabbed by the baggy clothing in her spars with Naruko. Usually that ended with a throw, joint lock or just being pulled into a strike. Either way it was a painful experience. Hinata couldn't find an argument to use against Naruko's suggestion for more practical outfits.

In keeping with that ideal she had cut her hair so that it reached the top of her jaw at the sides. The hairs gradually became shorter the closer to the back of her head they were. Her bangs hung over her forehead protector but stayed safely above her eyes. Even if her dojutsu let her see through objects she couldn't have it activated all the time.

The taller girl was also in a full set of mesh armor. Her black T-shirt and crimson shorts matched Hinata's new set. Though she also had on the training weights Teuchi had gotten her 4 years prior. The outer fabric was brand new as the old cloth had been worn from harsh training. They still had Ichiraku's written on the back but the front was adorned by an all red depiction of a ramen bowl. Ayame had been practicing her sewing and wanted to do something special for the new cloth.

She was also sporting a new haircut, but hers was even shorter. The hair on the sides and back of her head was less than an inch long. The top was longer, but still too short for anyone to grab properly. Naruko had needed assistance with cutting her hair, and after seeing how well Hinata had done on her own she asked her for help. That had elicited a blush from the girl like most compliments did. Naruko had teased her for it playfully which only made the shy girl turn a darker shade of red. At this point that could describe about half of their one-on-one interactions if you excluded sparing.

Naruko paced at the front of the classroom as she anxiously awaited their new sensei. "Just what the hell is taking so damn long!?" It had been hours since the other teams had been picked up by their jonin commanders. They had all probably started training already but team 7 was stuck waiting around. To pass the time she idly thought about earlier that day...

OoOoO

 _Iruka had just finished his speech on the true nature of a ninja and what it meant to be on the path that they were now starting down. Most of the class looked bored with his lecture. They were ready to move on to a life of more specialized training and performing missions. The man kept giving proud smiles to his students as he spoke. Finally he moved on to naming off the teams. Most of the students only listened in for the names of themselves or their friends._

 _Hinata was anxious. She spent a lot of time fiddling with the top of her new outfit. Naruko thought it was cute that the girl was so unused to her new attire. The mesh kept her forearms from being entirely uncovered but they were certainly more exposed than before. You could even see the bumps of her budding bosom pushing her shirt out at her chest. Naruko decided to tease her friend, "You know, whenever you pull on the bottom of your shirt like that it makes your chest more pronounced."_

 _Hinata immediately went beet red, and the girl hastily let go of her clothes. Naruko stifled a laugh as she caught a glare from Iruka for talking. She made an exaggerated bowing motion by way of apology while she covered her mouth with her hand. Hinata was somewhere between sulking and pouting next to the giggling girl as she crossed her arms over her chest._

" _Team 7, Uzumaki Naruko…" -Hinata straightened up and held her breath- "Hyuga Hinata…" she sprang up from her seat!_

" _YES!" A loud cheer of victory was made with one fist raised entire class stared at the girl like she had just grown a third eye. Naruko laughed loudly while holding onto her stomach. Iruka's glare in their direction snapped Hinata out of the daydream that had started. She quickly retook her seat while muttering an apology to her sensei._

 _Naruko's banging loudly on the table served to further her embarrassment. The indigo haired girl came dangerously close to fainting before the blonde finally managed to compose herself. Naruko had known in advance who her teammates were gonna be, but had wanted to see how Hinata delt with the suspense. That reaction was totally worth it._

 _Iruka loudly cleared his throat to regain the class's attention and continued, "...and finally Uchiha Sasuke." A chorus of soft whining followed that name. If either of the girls on his team had shown an interest in Sasuke romantically then there probably would have been an even bigger disturbance. Sasuke was mostly indifferent to his team formation, but a small part of him liked that he'd have more opportunities to test himself against Hinata. 'I'm going to surpass her!'_

 _Iruka continued on reading from his clipboard "Team 8, Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino." Sakura blushed as she looked at Akamaru, happy to at least have one cute teammate. Meanwhile Kiba shot a death glare at the stoic Shino. Kiba hadn't scored as high as the other boy, and now he felt he had something to prove._

 _The next team was full of bland kids who had made no impression on Naruko, but team 10 had a few characters in it. "Team 10, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji." Ino had a determined fire in her eyes, the sight of which made Shikamaru groan. Choji said something reassuring to his lazy friend. Iruka concluded by advising them all to take lunch with their teammates, and be back in an hour to meet their new sensei._

 _Most of the teams had followed the advice. Even if they weren't friends already they would need to get used to spending time together. Sasuke had different ideas than his classmates. Immediately he used the substitution justsu with a rock outside. The boy rushed off on his own for a quick lunch, and as much training as he could squeeze in._

 _Naruko merely shrugged at his actions. By now his self imposed isolation didn't bother her. She instead focused her energies on asking Hinata where she wanted to eat the bento she had made for them. Hinata was still blushing deeply from her outburst earlier. The girl softly suggested a picnic at the park._

 _They walked there quietly as Hinata was still very embarrassed. By the time they arrived Naruko had had enough of the quiet. She spent the hour teasing the Hyuga about her outburst, and really anything else she could think of. The blonde didn't know why, but she seemed to enjoy teasing her friend more and more as time went on. When they packed up to head back Hinata wanted to sink into the ground. The girl was also in a way proud that she had survived an entire 45 minutes of being teased without fainting._

OoOoO

Naruko tried again to puzzle out why she enjoyed seeing her friend blush so much. She kept trying to think of it as part of her work to boost the girl's confidence. The act of helping a friend made her happy, it was simple! However that just didn't seem to explain it in its entirety.

She was distracted from her thoughts by the classrom door sliding open. She turned around and was shocked by the sight before her, "P-Pervert-san! What are you doing here? It's bad enough that you are always reading that smut. Don't add stalking to your list of bad habits!"

Sasuke and Hinata were both shocked that Naruko apparently knew this man. Hinata recognized the name Pervert-san from Naruko venting about the man to her. He had a weird way of getting under her skin without actually needing to do much of anything. The masked figure sweatdropped, "Well I guess you three must be my genin then. Team 7, right?" Naruko fell back in disbelief with a look of abject horror on her face. "I'll take that as a yes. Meet up on the roof in 5 minutes. Don't be late."

He disappeared in a poof of smoke after giving his instructions. Naruko shuddered for a few moments as she tried to convince herself that this couldn't be happening. Then his last comment sunk in and rage overpowered her. She bellowed furiously, "Who the hell are you to talk about being late!"

Sasuke walked past her calmly on his way to the stairs. The notion that his sensei already knew one of his teammates bothered him. This might lead to favoritism that didn't work to the benefit of his training. The test yesterday had shown him that he needed to be completely focused on getting stronger. It was bad enough that he had lost the past few hours to waiting for his sensei to bother showing up. He couldn't abide the idea of more of his time being wasted.

Hinata made her way to the front of the room with a sympathetic smile. She knew that this must be really hard on Naruko. At this point she had heard many stories about the verbal spars the two neighbors had over the years. Naruko had not once come out feeling like the winner of the encounter. The pale eyed girl put a hand on the shoulder of her nearly hyperventilating crush.

Naruko whipped her head over to Hinata and took a few deep breaths upon seeing the sympathy in her face. "Thank you for that Hinata-chan. I'll be fine now." She gave an unconvincing smile to the Hyuga as they started on their way to the roof. The whole way Naruko tried to calm herself while Hinata worried about how this new development would affect the blonde.

The jonin was sitting on the railing reading his favorite book. His entire demeanor screamed out that he was completely relaxed and a little bored. Sasuke had popped a squat on the couple of steps infront of him looking slightly impatient. Naruko refused to look at her new jonin commander as she sat down with her arms folded infront of her chest. Hinata sat close to her, for moral support of course.

"Ah, so we're all here now. Let's start with some introductions. State your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and any goals you have. Why don't we start with the guy who thinks white is a good color for a ninja." Kakashi put his book away into his equipment pouch. Now that everyone was there he seemed to focus his attention on Sasuke.

The boy scoffed in a manner that showed he thought this was a waste of time. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like getting stronger and dislike wasting time. My only hobby is to train. It's more of an inevitability than a goal, but I will kill a certain man, and after that restore my clan."

Kakashi replied in the same bored tone as usual. Apparently there was nothing shocking about what the boy had said, "Very singularly focused, but I can work with that. Next let's hear from Naruko-chan's tag along."

Hinata eeped and blushed at the man's comment. She didn't object for more reasons than her timid nature. The Hyuga couldn't refute that her entire body language showed her concern for her friend. "My name is Hyuga Hinata. I like training, and spending time with Naruko-chan. I dislike how the villagers treat Naruko-chan, and my clan's caged bird seal. My hobbies are to train, collect medicinal herbs, and cook. I hope to one day become a strong kunoich,i and help bridge the gap between the two branches of my clan."

Kakashi noded and gave her an eye smile. She had more diverse interests than Sasuke, but at least she didn't seem to be one of those fangirl kunoichi that plagued this generation. He remarked in a slightly less bored tone, "Those are very noble goals, and I can certainly help with one of those. Last let's hear from pouty."

Naruko growled lowly and stared daggers at him as she spoke, "You all already know my name. I like training, Ichiraku's ramen and spending time with Hinata-chan. I dislike some of the traditions of the Hyuga clan. I especially dislike being saddled with perverts! My hobbies are to train and hang out with Hinata-chan. All of you already know that I'm going to have my face put up on that mountain within the next 10 years." With that she pointed a finger at the hokage monument.

Kakashi tsked a few times as he shook his head disapprovingly, "Now Naruko-chan how do you expect to become Hokage if you can't respect your elders? To become Hokage you need to have a lot of support from people in high positions. Most of them being old, rather perverted men."

Naruko grumbled under her breath, and in a moment of compassion Hinata was able to gently rub the girl's back without blushing. Kakashi waited a few moments before exhaling a long sigh, "All of you will report to training ground 3 at 7 A.M. for a test to see if you are worthy of being genin. Fail to impress me, and I'll send you back to the academy."

All three genin looked shocked at his sudden declaration. Surprisingly Hinata was the one to question his words, "But we already passed the final exam. Besides we didn't see any returning student last year." Naruko nodded in agreement while Sasuke regained his annoyed demeanor. The jonin's words didn't make sense to the trio. Was he playing mind games with them?

Kakashi started giggling, then chuckling, until finally he launched into full on maniacal laughter. Hinata felt concerned, almost frightened, by the noise. Naruko and Sasuke seemed rather unimpressed with the display. Though their reasons for nonchalance were vatly different.

The laughter dies down to a more reasonable level, but still continues into his first few words. "That test is to see if you're even worth a jonin's time. As for why you didn't see anyone return last year… You're right, nobody is getting sent back to the ninja academy." -he takes another even longer dramatic pause, and it's just long enough to elicit a sigh of relief from Hinata- "If you fail my test then I'm going to send you to civilian studies."

Naruko growled again, and faced him with an expression of mixed determination and spite. Hinata emitted a horrified gasp, and quickly turned to examine the girl at her side. Sasuke finally showed a reaction in the form of a twitching eye. Kakashi smiled under his mask, "One last thing, I wouldn't eat breakfast if I were you. You'll just throw it up. 7 o'clock, don't be late." With his parting words he shunshined away leaving behind a puff of smoke.

Sasuke tsked at the antics of his new sensei. He rose to his feet, and ran away immediately to train. Hinata showing him up yesterday was a wake up call. Obviously this new sensei of theirs wasn't going to take him seriously. He needed to focus all his energy in on training. He'd been soft on himself. He had allowed time for rest. That couldn't continue. The boy needed to keep his goal in sight and continue to run towards it.

Naruko was shaking from a mixture of anxiety and anger after the male members of the team left. The interaction had her fired up, and she had never before felt this much hatred. The man not only annoyed her every day for the past 4 years, but now he was threatening her future? This wasn't a test for her anymore. Now it was a battle, and if the jonin wasn't ready she was going to knock his block off!

It was true that Hinata was nervous from the man's words. What really bothered her though was seeing Naruko so worked up. Nothing had ever gotten to the blonde like this before. From what she had heard from Naruko their new sensei hadn't done anything other than try to talk to her in the mornings. 'Years of built up annoyance are coming to a head. If only there was more I could do for Naruko-chan!' The indigo haired girl's soothing rub progressed into an increasingly frantic motion.

Naruko took a few deep breaths to steady herself, and was able to stop shaking. She let out a low chuckle that somehow made Hinata even more worried, "Hey, Hinata-chan. Do you want to get some breakfast with me at the bakery? I'll treat you to as many cinnamon rolls as you can eat." She turned and flashed the girl a confident grin.

Hinata's confusion was evident as she removed her hand from Naruko's back. A faint blush was on her face as a small part of her mind imagined that this might be a date. "But Naruko-chan, he said we would throw up if we did." Hinata really hated throwing up, and it really wouldn't help impress their sensei if she did it during his test.

Naruko waved a hand dismissively, "He's bluffing. What kind of ninja goes on a mission without eating? Besides he's probably going to be late again tomorrow. We'll have plenty of time to digest before he gets there." Hinata smiled and blushed deeper as she nodded. "It's settled then. I'll be at the gate at 5:45 Hinata-chan."

Naruko hopped up to her feet, and took a running leap off of the roof. She jumped from roof to roof quickly, and disappeared into the distance leaving her friend alone on the roof. Naruko had a lot of preparations to make for the next day. Seals needed to be made, kunai sharpened, and a jutsu to master. Most of that were things she still planned to hide, but she needed to be prepared in case they became necessary. The ambitious girl wasn't going to let anyone stop her from keeping her promise to become hokage.

Hinata watched her crush leave wistfully. She spent a good minute reminding herself that their meeting tomorrow wasn't a date. A couple of times she had gotten her hopes up only to have them crushed. She didn't mind too much really as long as she got to spend time with Naruko. The pain was really intense, but it always faded. It wasn't like Naruko had ever done it on purpose. Still she longed to be closer to the jinchuriki. Though a part of the Hinata's mind kept reminding the girl that someone like her could never capture Naruko's attention in that way. Even if she could there were far too many obstacles to face with her clan. Still a small rather new part of her being held on to the hope that her dream could come true.

OoOoO

The next morning Naruko was at the gate exactly at the time she promised. Hinata was already standing there waiting on her. The blonde got a devious thought upon seeing her friend there. She channeled her chakra, and used her newly mastered jutsu "Shunshin."(Body Flicker) The girl was now standing behind her friend with a wicked smile on her face. She gently poked Hinata in the ribs, while asking playfully, "Who're ya lookin for?"

Hinata jumped up with a loud, "Eep!" Then she turned to face the other girl with a blush forming on her face, "Naruko-chan, you shouldn't scare me like that!" She wore a pout to go along with her blush, and Naruko couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah, sorry Hinata-chan! I saw you already out here waiting, and I couldn't resist teasing you a little." The girl scratched the back of her head, and her large grin brought a smile to her victim's face. "Should we head out? If we hurry we might still be able to catch the cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven."

Hinata needed no more convincing to begin heading for the bakery at a quick pace. Naruko followed along cheerfully as she was happy to see her friend so eager. The prospect of fresh cinnamon rolls always put a special pep in the Hyuga's step. Unbeknownst to Naruko the thought of Hinata sharing them with Naruko is what accounted for more than half of her friend's current excitement. Something about seeing the usually shy girl so excited made her feel light despite the training weights and resistance seals.

The two had a wonderful time at the bakery. They joked, laughed and ate nonstop for an entire hour. At the end Naruko paid the baker for what had ended up being his entire stock of cinnamon rolls. The man still didn't like the blonde jinchuriki. However she and her friend were his best paying customers. The first time he tried to refuse service to Naruko the little Hyuga had given him the most intimidating glare he'd ever seen. For his safety and profit he pushed his prejudice aside, and served the girls without complaint whenever they came in.

OoOoO

Sasuke had arrived half an hour early to the training ground. He had taken the advice of not eating breakfast without much thought. He didn't have time to think about that when he could be training. Truthfully he was a bit worn out from his efforts of the previous day. He had literally had to crawl into bed when he called it quits the night before. Be was a quite sore from the bruises all over his body. 'Maybe I should learn medical ninjutsu as well to help boost my recovery time.' With that thought he stood in a clearing near three posts, and waited for the rest of his team.

The two female members of team 7 made their way to the training ground while still carrying on with their laughter and giggling. They were 15 minutes late, but didn't seem to have a care in the world. Hinata was still munching on the last cinnamon roll as they approached Sasuke.

"You're both late." he observed coolly. Naruko just shrugged, and leaned against one of the posts. "And…" -it was at that moment that Sasuke realized he had no idea what their Sensei's name was- "...our sensei said not to eat anything."

Hinata swallowed the last of the cinnamon roll with a smile before speaking, "Do ninja's ever not eat before missions? No, it would be unhealthy to do so. Besides Naruko-chan thinks he'll be late like yesterday anyway."

Sasuke tsked and looked away from the two. He wasn't about to admit it, but their reasoning made sense. He silently hoped that the man would be here soon so he wouldn't be affected by his hunger too much.

Hinata seemed to realize something that had also dawned on Sasuke not too long ago. "Naruko-chan, do you remember Sensei's name? We forgot to have him introduce himself to us."

It was Naruko's turn to tsk, "Pervert-san is Pervert-san. He told me his name when we first met, but that was like 4 years ago." Hinata sighed, and wondered if he would hold it against them that none of the genin seemed interested in his name yesterday.

Sasuke remained staring away from the two, but asked a question clearly aimed at them. "How do you know our sensei?" his tone was somewhere between curious and accusatory in nature.

Naruko sighed, "Pervert-san moved into the apartment next to me a bit before we started the academy." She really hoped that their jonin was playing a joke on her, and was really someone else. It seemed unlikely, but she could still hope.

Sasuke hned once in the moments before he asked his next question, "So what do you know about him?" Any information she could give might prove to be a valuable asset in the coming test.

Naruko thought for a minute before answering, "Well he really likes that porn book he's always reading. He is always outside his apartment in the mornings trying to start up a conversation with me about something mundane. He wasn't there this morning, but to be honest I never bothered to learn enough about him to guess at why. Pervert-san is just that annoying man that never gave up on trying to talk to me." With her conclusion the group fell into silence.

It wasn't until the sun was directly overhead that the jonin stepped into view. He had his book in hand as he walked through the trees, "Ah everyone's here, that's good. I was worried you might have left."

Naruko jumped up, and pointed at the man angrily, "What kind of jonin can't manage to show up on time, eh Pervert-san?!" Her teammates weren't as willing to disrespect their sensei, but they did have similar questions in their minds.

The man continued walking until he was standing 10 feet away from them, "Well you see there was an old lady that needed help crossing the street." -All three of his students sweatdropped in response- "She also had a lot of groceries that she couldn't carry back to her home."

Naruko's eye twitched while she exclaimed loudly, "That wouldn't take 5 hours!" She shook a fist at him angrily as her voice cut through the woods. Birds took flight from their perches, and other small animals scampered away from the disturbance.

Hinata was the next to speak up. Not only did she want to change the subject, she also wanted an answer, "Sensei, you forgot to do your introduction yesterday. None of us know your name."

Kakashi's voice sounded mildly surprised, "Oh? Is that what you think happened? I was waiting for one of you three to ask, but none of you seemed to care. Naruko-chan is content with her nickname for me. Sasuke was too busy brooding about the tie for rookie of the year," -Sasuke tsked again, and looks away- "...and you Hinata were so focused on your childhood friend that you didn't think to ask." The blush on the Hyuga's face seemed too deep to him. In fact something about her focus on the blonde made him question the nature of her feelings.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments between the four of them. They could clearly hear a gust of wind as it blew some fallen leaves past. Finally the man decided to take some form of pity on them, "My name is Hatake Kakashi. If you pass my test I might consider answering the other questions."

The three genin focused intently as he brought two bells out. In short order he tied them to his vest. He then pulled out an alarm clock from his pack, and carefully set it on one of the posts. Kakashi then explained clearly, "You have until this alarm goes off to grab a bell from me. Anyone who doesn't do so will be tied to a log while the rest of us eat lunch." -Sasuke's stomach growled, and that caused his eye to twitch in irritation- "After lunch you'll have one hour to try and steal these. Anyone who doesn't have a bell by the end of that will fail."

The three genin all could tell that the math didn't add up. There were two bells and three of them. They all became more tense, but none of them further questioned Kakashi. He gave them a few moments to see if one of them would cave in, and ask the obvious question. When they all remained silent he shrugged, "If you are to have any hope of success you need to come at me with the intent to kill. The test starts… Now!"

Immediately Hinata and Sasuke jumped into the surrounding trees. They hid well, and Kakashi couldn't see them from his position. Naruko simply began to stretch, "Pervert-san, I've decided that this is your test. If you impress me here then I'll even call you sensei. Sound like a deal?"

Hinata and Sasuke sweatdropped at their teammate's actions and declaration. Did she seriously plan to fight him out in the open? Hinata thought there must be some sort of trick. Sasuke just muttered "Dumbass."

Kakashi looked to the sound of Sasuke's comment for a moment. Naruko took that moment to charge him full speed. She twisted her body, raising her leg up for a high kick. He easily caught her shin without putting the book away. He applied pressure, and forced the captured limb upwards a few inches. 'What is this feeling? That should have been enough force to flip her over.' Suddenly he felt as if he was within some insanely thick liquid.

Naruko used the leg he was holding to pull her body in towards him. One of her hands pushed off the ground, and she launched a kick with her other leg. Kakashi quickly blocked the attack with a raised knee. Her free hand reached for the bells, but Kakashi saw it coming. He let go of her leg, and his movements were no longer inhibited. He extended his own leg foward in a bro kick that crashed squarely into her chest. The girl coughed as she skid a few yards away. The man spoke calmly, "Lesson one. Taijutsu."

Just then a noise behind the jonin alerted him that Hinata was charging in to join the fray. She had an arm cocked back and her byakugan activated. He leaped upwards, and sailed over her glowing palm strike as he put away the book. "If it's the two of you I might have to pay attention."

Naruko quickly returned to her feet. The girls fell into stance next to each other. Naruko questioned her friend, "You ready to kick his ass?" Without looking over Hinata nodded her agreement. They both dashed toward the silver haired man. They split halfway to their target, and attempted to engage him in flanking positions. Kakashi was having none of that, and at the last second before their strikes landed he kicked himself backwards away from the two girls.

What he saw next surprised him. Instead of hitting each other as he had thought they would, Naruko grabbed Hinata by her sides. In a fluid motion she flung her comrade at him. He side stepped the improvised missle thanks to his battle trained reflexes. Seeing as he had the two taijutsu specialists facing him in tandem he decided to press the advantage. The jonin lunged forward at the off balance blonde without delay. She continued her rotation, and brought up a leg in a swift spinning back kick. Her heel connected to his forearm, and knocked Kakashi's fist away.

The girl smirked even as her sensei spun with the force of her parry to deliver a sharp kick to her abdomen. The clone burst into a poof of smoke, and Kakashi's eye widened. "Shadow clone?!" He spun around just in time to fend off the fists of two Narukos. His counter strikes were swift and brutal. Both of the clones were quickly dispelled.

In the trees Sasuke's jaw dropped, 'Shadow clones! When the hell did she learn that?!' It wasn't something that was taught by the academy. As far as he knew she didn't have anyone other than Hinata to train with, and the Hyuga clan weren't known for their ninjutsu. Besides the fact that jutsu in particular was rarely used because of how much chakra it required. The only reason he even knew about it was because he had read through the records in the Uchiha clan library.

Hinata was surprised to see the jutsu displayed so early on in the match. The deception she spent years cultivating had hidden the blonde's ability to create shadow clones from everyone outside of the Hyuga clan. 'She must have been serious about wanting to test him. Naruko-chan, please be careful.' the Hyuga heiress was also worried about Kakashi. If the jonin underestimated Naruko, and the girl went all out…

Kakashi heard a familiar sizzling sound coming from his right forearm. He cursed mentally as he used Kawarimi(Substitution) just before the explosion from the paper bomb. When a shadow clone dispels all their equipment does as well. The original, or at least a different clone, must have passed the explosive note off to the clone to tag him with.

Hinata jumped into the cover of the trees. Using her byakugan she quickly found Naruko. She changed course to meet up with the speeding blonde. "Naruko-chan! We need to hurry up and help Sasuke-san before Kakashi-sensei gets to him." The other girl nodded in agreement as the two rushed off to search for their other teammate. Both girls had come to the realization that they would need Sasuke's help to catch Kakashi off guard.

Kakashi had silently appeared behind his third student. The fact that he hadn't done anything to help his team was rather disappointing. He hadn't been as obvious about the point of the test as previous years because he thought these three were special. They were all geniuses in their own right, and the whole point of the test was to test their willingness to cooperate not their ability to follow orders. He waited a moment to see if the boy would notice him. He decided that the Uchiha hadn't, and breathed inches away from his ear, "Lesson 2. Genjutsu."

Sasuke fell foward off of the tree branch in his surprise. He twisted his body around in mid air to throw a few shuriken at Kakashi. The man deflected them all with the metal plate on his glove. "Show me the might of the famed Uchiha clan!" The taunt rang loud in Sasuke's ears as he landed on the ground. He made a hand seal, and disrupted his chakra flow, "Release!"

Sasuke saw his vision distort. When it cleared Kakashi was on an even higher branch. The boy quickly weaved through familiar hand seals while he took in a deep breath, "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"(Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique) A large fireball rose upwards towards Kakashi. When the smoke cleared a lump of charcoal landed on the ground next to the Uchiha. He jumped forward in fear of ambush, and headed further into the forest.

Kakashi appeared next to him after a few moments. He easily fell into pace with the boy. The jonin casually commented, "That's an impressive jutsu, but you should never have run away from your comrades." Sasuke snarled, and tried to punch the source of his aggravation. The jonin deflected the blow with a backhand, and delivered a punch to Sasuke's ribs that knocked the genin back a few feet. Sasuke winced as he stared down the man. He tried to think up a plan to get around the more experienced fighter's guard.

Kakashi gave the examinee an eye smile as he chastised, "You can't count on an enemy to give you this much of a break during a fight."

Sasuke shot another fireball at him, but once again there was no sign of a chared body to indicate he was hit. He scanned all around him for his sensei, nothing. A cold laughter rung out seeming to come from everywhere at once. The sound borrowed into his ears making his head ache. The Uchiha clutched his head in agony. He tried to let out a scream, but no sound came forth from his throat.

Suddenly he came to his senses lying face down on the forest floor. The boy was helplessly pinned under the jonin who proceed to jerk his leg sideways violently. Sasuke grunted but managed not to scream as his leg broke. When the process was repeated with his other leg he couldn't hold it in any more, "AHHHHHHHH!"

OoOoO

Naruko and Hinata sped through the forest towards Sasuke's scream. Using her byakugan Hinata was able to assess the boy and his current condition. She reported her findings in a flat tone that was unfamiliar to her companion, "He's not too far ahead, but he's severely injured. I'm gonna need you to cover me while I heal him."

"No problem Hinata-chan. I'll keep Pervert-san busy." Naruko wondered just how bad the injuries could be. She tried to gauge it from the way the Hyuga heiress had spoke. It was probably more than what either had suspected going into this test. Maybe she would need to take things up a notch.

When they arrived Naruko gagged at the grotesque sight. She quickly averted her gaze from her teammate's mangled legs. Hinata had immediately started to heal the fallen Uchiha when his voice shocked her, "What're you doing? You don't have time to worry about me. Just focus on getting the bells!"

His words made Naruko look over again with the intention of firing off a witty remark. Instead she covered her mouth, and gasped out, "Oh god! I think I'm gonna be sick."

Hinata shook her head in disappointment at both of her teammates before speaking sternly, "Naruko if you can't handle it then look away. You're supposed to be covering us anyway."

Naruko muttered, "Sorry Hinata-chan, the second bends are just so unnatural." -the girl made a quick handseal- "Kagebushin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Technique) Six Naruko's were now keeping watch in a circle around the other genin.

Hinata looked Sasuke in the eyes as her glowing hands worked on one of his legs, "As for you. I don't want to hear any of that Uchiha pride. I'm going to heal you, and then we're going to work together to get those bells. Got it!" The last part was definitely a command not a question. The shy girl was in emergency mode right now. Clearly she wasn't about to take any of her teammate's shit. If Kakashi was willing to go this far then they needed to end this soon.

They all heard a voice call out, "Lesson 3, Ninjutsu! Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"(Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique) A giant fireball now rushed towards the the team. Hinata had been caught off guard, and Sasuke was currently incapable of dodging.

Naruko cursed, "Damn it!" She was going to need to reveal more of her skills in order to protect her team. Two of her clones flew through handseals of their own, "Futon: Daitoppa!"(Wind Style: Great Breakthrough) They both took a deep breath in, and exhaled large gusts of wind. The air bolstered the flames, but the sheer force managed to hold them off. When the flames cleared they saw Kakashi standing on the ground looking at them curiously.

Kakashi's hands began to blur through seals again. Suddenly Naruko was coming down from above with a punch. The jonin backed up a step, and grabbed both of her leg weights. "I thought I said intent to kill?" he questioned. The man's thumbs rubbed over the quick release latches on the weights. Black fabric fell aside as he kicked her away.

The blonde genin flipped through the air, and landed with her feet on the side of a tree trunk. Her voice was broken up by light laughter, "If that's how you really want it." She was a blur of motion as she sped towards her sensei. The jonin matched her pace, and soon the two were engaged in a competition of martial prowess.

Sasuke couldn't keep track of either of their motions. The Naruko clone closest to him began to speak, "Alright guys I think I have a plan. But first, Sasuke eat this." -she held out a soldier pill to the other genin- "You need your strength back for this to work. It's going to take all three of us, but I think we can pass Pervert-san's test."

Sasuke stared at her dumbfounded. How was this girl the dead last of their class? She was forcing Kakashi to move at a speed he couldn't even see. She could perform shadow clones and wind element ninjutsu. It was unbelievable to think that this was the same girl that had declared him to be her rival three years ago. After a long silence Sasuke finally replied, "Alright, what's the plan?" As he took the pill from her he smirked. Whatever Hinata had done to stop the pain during her treatment was truly wonderful. He added "Dumbass."

OoOoO

The real Naruko was standing infront of Kakashi while both of them threw punches, knees, and elbows at a blinding pace. Truth be told Kakashi was shocked at the girl's speed. Any faster and he would need to fight her seriously. As things were he was dripping with sweat. He felt amazed that the girl hadn't slowed down at all after a full minute of assault. 'Probably because of the Kyubi's chakra.'

A light of recognition appeared in her eyes, a smirk developed, and she jumped back. "Well Pervert-san I gotta say, I didn't expect you to be able to keep up with that. Is this a jonin's strength?"

"I'm still just playing around with you Naruko-chan. Or did you really think I was taking this seriously?" he sounded a bit harsher than his normal apathetic tone.

To his surprise the girl disappeared into a puff of smoke. He mentally cursed himself for underestimating her, and scaned his surroundings. He heard the three genin approching him from behind. Kakashi made a few handseals before turning around "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"(Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique) The fireball incinerated the three clones instantly. 'It's a trap!' he realized, while he spun around to look for the real genin.

Suddenly Hinata leapt down from a high branch. She began to throw palm strikes and pointed jabs furiously. He had no problem deflecting the girl's Jyuken strikes, but took care to avoid touching her glowing hands. He heard a noise behind him, and jumped high into the air as a Naruko clone's follow through carried her into Hinata's palm and popped it. "Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!"(Fire Style: Great Dragon Burning Technique) "Futon: Shinku Taigyoku!"(Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere)

Kakashi turned around just in time to see the giant dragon head explode into a massive firestorm from the collision with the wind jutsu. "Well fuck."

He substituted out of certain doom, but not before catching a mild burn on his leg. He noticed many trees burning down, and ashes blanketed the area. Above dark thunderclouds formed from the sudden updraft.

He saw his three genin standing next to each other. Naruko and Hinata were in taijutsu stances seeming ready to charge forward at a moment's notice. Sasuke stood behind them with shuriken between all of his knuckles. The boy seemed a little winded from using that last jutsu, but wore a proud smile.

Kakashi taunted them, "You did catch on that there are two bells and three of you right? One of you is going to fail this." -The three all nodded at him, but held firm to their formation.- "Then have you three decided on who is giving up their ninja career, or are you leaving it up to chance?"

The three gave him no reaction other than to study him more closely in an attempt to identify any sign he was about to make a move. Kakashi continued his taunts when they remained silent "I see. You girl's are going to use Sasuke to grab the bells then turn on him once I'm no longer holding them."

Sasuke glanced at his teammates for a moment each. They probably could if they wanted to, but he didn't see it as something that would cross their minds. He shouted to his sensei, "Why are you trying to divide us? Are you scared of what we could do together?"

Just then an exceptionally loud alarm could be heard in the distance. Kakashi sighed, 'Well I guess now is as good a time as any.' The three genin all noticeably tensed at the sound. No one had even come close to grabbing a bell yet. The suddenly darkening skies added to the ominous feeling of the moment. Even though there would be another chance after Kakashi ate in front of them they all felt like they had failed.

"You three all pass!" He delivered the words with a smile that could be seen through his mask.

All three sweatdropped, and cried out in unison "What?!" In the silence that followed the clouds began to release their liquid down upon the training feild.

Naruko was the one to break the silence, and elaborate on their question, "But you still have both of the bells. We never even touched one!"

Kakashi chuckled as he walked closer to the group "It was never about the bells, or even how strong you three are. The true test was about teamwork. The number of bells is meant to drive the team apart, much like enemy shinobi will try to do on missions. If you three can't work as a team then you won't survive a year in the ninja world." -He stopped infront of them and smiled widely- "There is a saying among shinobi. 'Those that don't follow the rules are trash.' However I believe that those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash."

The three still wore shocked expressions as he explained his call. After he finished they each had their own separate reactions. Sasuke looked away, and he felt a pang of guilt for not working together until forced to. Hinata gazed at her sensei with a newfound sense of respect and admiration. Naruko chuckled, and she looked up at the sky "Is that so…"

The entire team closely inspected the jinchuriki. They all sensed there was more she was going to say. She shot Kakashi a determined look as she continued, "Alright, fine. I'll admit that you impressed me here today, and I'll keep my promise. Pervert-sensei!"

Naruko gave the nice guy pose as the rest of her team sweatdropped. Sasuke muttered "Dumbass" but had a smile on his face in spite of himself. Kakashi broke his normal cool persona by twitching his eye. Hinata giggled at their antics. She was just happy to see the team getting along in their own weird way.

OoOoO

Back at the posts the three genin ate lunch under a tree. Meanwhile Kakashi gave them all an evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. "Sasuke. You have good stealth, already know multiple fire ninjutsu, and showed no hesitationin attacking me. However you didn't work along with your team until after they came, and healed you. When I told you I was going to use genjutsu you assumed I had done so right away. Really that was a feint, and I waited until you tried to escape it to cast the illusion. You were covered in bruises from training too hard yesterday, and that hindered your ability to perfrom today. Also your speed could use a boost."

Sasuke avoided eye contact with the group as he was reviewed. Not only did the other two prove to be stronger, but he would have dragged them all down into failure if Hinata hadn't been uncharacteristically firm with him.

Kakashi turned to address the shyest member of the group, "Hinata. Your tiajutsu is very impressive, you showed good coordination with your teammates, your medical ninjutsu is probably better than most ninja in this village, and you were able to take on a leadership role to convince Sasuke to join you. You're lacking a bit in speed, and jutsu variety. It's great that you can see enemies at exceptional distances, but you don't have much in the way of ranged skills right now."

Hinata blushed at the high level of praise her sensei had for her abilities. The only other person who ever spoke that highly of her was Naruko. The blonde gave a chuckle at her flushed comrade. She was glad someone else had seen the true extent of the girl's talents.

Kakashi shot a glare at Naruko as he began talking about her. "Naruko-chan, would you care to explain why you're the dead last? You have multiple elemental ninjutsu, and can make shadow clones. Your speed is almost on par with mine, besides that you have great taijutsu skill and show quick thinking in battle."

Naruko scratched the back of her head as she answered "Biased tests? The instructors didn't like me. Oh, oh! I never took it seriously because I knew I was awesome!" Her nervous grin had turned large, and could only be described as shit eating by the time she finished.

Kakashi sighed while he shook his head, "Your lying needs a lot of work. It's one thing to be able to bluff along with people's expectations, but if you can't keep up your deception when suspicions are cast then you could get you and your whole team killed. Also your reluctance to use your full abilities when the situation calls for it won't do you any favors. The fact that you tried to challenge a more skilled and experienced ninja, head on, by yourself was extremely reckless."

Naruko's eye was twitching, but she kept quiet. She knew that he was telling the truth. As much as she found him annoying the man was going to be her sensei. She would need to find a way to deal with working with the man. 'I'll just consider it training for when I have shitty clients.' she told herself.

Kakashi had brought his hand up to his chin after he finished stating Naruko's weaknesses. After a few moments he had his thoughts organized. He announced his decision with a seriousness they hadn't seen from him before, "Starting tomorrow we'll meet here for training at 6A.M.. We'll start the morning off with physical exercises. From there we will go into chakra control training, followed by teamwork building work. We will always eat lunch together as a team to help strengthen the bonds between us. You will be putting your lives into each others' hands on missions, and I need you all to have absolute trust." The coldness in his visable eye upon those words sent shivers down the younglings' spines. It spoke of a loss, probably multiple, from bad team dynamics.

"After lunch we will report to Hokage-sama for a D-rank mission. No matter how long it takes to finish it we will be returning here after for specialized individual training. This will be the plan for Monday through Friday. On Saturdays we won't be doing missions, and I'll have some form of special activity planned. Do you all understand. "

The three nodded to affirm that they had followed along. He gave them an eye smile as they nodded, and seemed to drop back into his old relaxed demeanor. "Good we will end things here today. I suggest you think hard on what I told you about your faults, and show up tomorrow well rested. Oh and another thing…" -suddenly the world seemed totally dark except for the tall fires that miraculously ignited behind him- "be prepared to go through hell."

A moment after those ominous words were uttered the world went back to normal. The sensei had disappeared from sight just as suddenly. This display caused all three of them to shudder at the thought of what their sensei had planned for them.

Hinata decided to ask Sasuke if he would like to train with them. It would give them all a chance to bond, and form the trust their sensei spoke of. They knew next to nothing about what their teammate was like belowthe surface. Not only did that bother the heiress on a personal level, but Kakashi had said it was outright dangerous. When she turned to face him he was already gone. In a soft voice with downcast eyes, Hinata commented "Sasuke-san doesn't seem to like us much."

Naruko noticed the glum look on her friends face. Seeing it caused a pain inside her chest that she couldn't describe. 'Duckass better not make a habit of hurting Hinata-chan's feelings. If he does I'll pound him into the dirt!' The girl set aside her anger when she turned her energies towards comforting the heiress. "He just doesn't know us well yet. That and his pride took a real blow when he discovered that both of us are beyond him in skill. He'll come around, and if he doesn't I'll beat some sense into him!"

Hinata's face flushed when she realized that Naruko was trying to comfort her. She let out a giggle while nodding at her crush, "Thank you Naruko-chan. Though I think that attacking him might make things worse between the three of us." She told herself that Sasuke just needed time to open up. This was only their first day as teammates, and he had been alone for a long time.

The two continued to eat their lunch while making pleasant conversation. When they finished the pair spared with each other until sunset. Hinata bid the girl farewell as they parted ways. It had been a long day that had put a lot of strain on her body. As she walked up to the entrance of her clan's compound she wanted nothing more than a nice relaxing bath.

"Hinata-sama, you've returned. Hiashi-sama requested you see him when you got back. He should be in his study." The gatekeeper spoke with a bowed head in reverence for the heiress. It still made part of her uncomfortable that most of her family treated her like this. She hadn't done anything to deserve such respect. When she tried to reciprocate they fumbled over themselves as if they had just done something wrong.

Hinata bowed her head a little too deeply to be proper for a heiress acknowledging a member of the branch family, and thanked the man. It was a small compromise between her desire to not fluster them, and her desire to show the high regard she held her fellow clansmen in. Maybe when she became clan head she could change things. Work to mend the relationship between the main and branch families. 'No, I will change things!' she told herself firmly.

It was almost guaranteed that Hinata would take the mantle of clan head. Nobody had talked about her sister Hanabi taking her place for years now. The only cause for doubt that remained was that neither of the two had been marked with the caged bird seal. Tradition stated that Hanabi should have been marked years prior at this point. At the time they held off from doubts about Hinata's suitability for the position. Now she had no idea why it hadn't happened yet. Not that Hinata would ever press the issue.

The caged bird seal was one of the oldest traditions of the Hyuga clan. It sealed the byakugan upon death to ensure the advantage of the clan's dojutsu remained safely within the clan. However it also could cause searing pain if a member of the main family made a certain handseal. It forced the Hyuga clan into two separate families. The branch family all bore the mark, and were expected to live their lives in service to the main family.

Hinata had grown up largely alone. The distance between the two families had kept her separated from most of her clan. She wanted nothing more than to bridge that gap. To be shown love instead of respect was all she wanted from her family. It was an impossible dream, and no one else seemed to want it. If they did they kept quiet about their desire. Really she couldn't blame them for their silence in the face of centuries of tradition. That didn't stop her from wanting to reach out to her estranged family in a show of support.

As she neared her father's study her thoughts shifted to what he might wish to say to her. It wasn't often that he spoke with her outside of training. Naturally the heiress's mind was racing with a dozen different anxieties about what this conversation could be about. By far the largest fear was that her father would wish for her to stop seeing Naruko. Hinata wasn't sure if he had enough power to force her onto a different team, but she really didn't want to find out.

Her delicate yet blistered knuckles rapped on the wood between the panels of rice paper. A level voice from inside the room told her to come in. She slid the door aside, and stepped into the room with a bow of her head. When she spoke great care was taken to keep the stutter of her youth out of her voice, "You wished to speak with me Otou-sama."

The girl didn't look up from her bow as she waited for a response. Her mind couldn't think of any positive reason for being called here. The best, or rather least dreadful, probability was that he wasn't going to train her any longer now that she had a jonin sensei. Her relationship with her father was certainly astranged. That didn't mean she wanted to see him only at dinner and important clan functions.

"Hinata, close the door and come sit down. There is something I must discuss with you." That wasn't a good sign. The fact that he activated privacy seals that kept the room obscured from the byakugan was an even worse sign. If she was nervous before now she was embraced by the familiar feelings of panic. She began to sweat as she took a seat on the mat before him.

The man cleared his throat while he shifted uncomfortably. The usually stoic Hyuga was actually showing signs of discomfort. Hinata's eyes went wide at the realization. Seeing that her proud, composed father was nervous she began to tremble. Hiashi noticed this behavior, and knew he had to correct his demeanor. He took a deep breath before speaking to regain his near perfect composure. "This is a serious matter Hinata, but there isn't need for you to be so anxious. You've done nothing wrong, and I will not let you be punished for this."

Hinata took a few deep breaths to calm herself like Naruko had taught her. Remembering that the girl had researched ways to cope with anxiety reminded her that her friend would always be there for her. Truthfully that knowledge helped just about as much as the breathing exercise. Soon she was at a much more reasonable level of nervousness, "Wh-what would I be punished for Otou-sama?"

Hiashi inwardly cursed himself for starting the conversation that way. He really wasn't good at the emotional, and more intimate side of parenting. Silently he wished his wife was still alive to advise him. Maybe she would even have been having this conversation in his stead. "As I said I won't let punishment befall you for this…" -he paused here for a moment to collect his thoughts- "Tell me how you feel about Naruko."

Hinata felt her heart skip a beat in her chest. The level of her anxiety began rising again, and her mouth felt dry. 'This is it. This is the talk where he tells me I'm not allowed to see her anymore. He views the prospect of us getting closer as a punishment and he is going to do everything he can to keep that from happening!'

Hinata took a few deep breaths to clear the lump in her throat before she answered. "Na-Naruko-chan is my bestfriend. I admire her d-determination, and skill. I'm grateful for her interest in b-boosting my confidence, and her continued friendship." Hinata had stuttered a few times, but all things considered it could have been a lot worse.

Hiashi nodded as he formulated his response. Years of practice at picking his words wisely hadn't prepared him for this talk with his daughter. "It goes deeper than that, doesn't it." His sentence came out as a declaration inspite of how they were worded. They both knew that he had known about this for years. The man had merely kept quiet about it.

Hinata gulped as her eyes fell to the floor infront of her. As shy as she was the girl would not, could not, deny her feelings for Naruko no matter the situation. She yanked back hard on her fears. It was with a quiet voice that she replied to her father, "Yes Otou-sama."

Hiashi sighed, feeling as if a weight had been taken off of him. Hinata didn't share his relief, and seemed to take the sigh in a different context. He truly hoped his next words would help in that regard, "I approve of your feelings, and you have my blessing to pursue a relationship with Naruko."

Hinata's head jerked up to stare dumbfounded at her father. Those words coming from his mouth weren't something she ever expected to hear. At best she had hoped for indifference in regards to the potential of Naruko and her becoming more than friends. Her head felt like it was overstuffed with far to many thoughts. Was this a dream? Had her father hit his head too hard during a spar? Did he know what he was saying?

Hiashi continued with what he wanted to tell his daughter, "The elders will not agree with me on this matter. You are the heiress of our clan, and if you were to become involved with another woman you would be unable to continue the clan lineage. They will call for the immediate replacement of you as clan heiress, and want you branded with the caged bird seal."

Hiashi paused to let his daughter process what he had said so far. He knew this was a tough conversation for the both of them. He was trying his best not to overwhelm his daughter by speaking too quickly. It came as a complete surprise to him when she spoke. Doubly so that she spoke in such a firm manner, "I would gladly accept that if it meant being with Naruko-chan."

Despite his best efforts Hiashi spoke with an edge to his voice, "No! I will not allow you to be branded for this! I might have to concede so much as to have your sister take the position of clan heir, but I will not allow you to be marked for your feelings. I almost made that mistake once, and I will not do it again!"

Hinata had never before heard her father speak with such passion. The display paradoxically both unnerved, and comforted her at the same time. She once again teetered along the scale of nervousness as she listened intently to her father.

Hiashi's voice softened while he carried on, "When your mother passed I became your only lifeline. I was meant to guide you, but I myself was lost without her. I became cold, and I cast you into a darkness you should never have known. I was consumed by my despair. I couldn't help you. I owe Naruko a debt greater than I could ever hope to repay for being a light in your world. She took the time to understand you, to teach you the strength of your character. She made you see the beauty of your soul where I in my ignorance only saw weakness. You are a very compassionate woman, just like your mother. It is my greatest shame that I ever saw that as anything but a strength. From the bottom of my heart, and on all my honor, I apologize to you Hinata."

With his truest feelings spoken the proud man bowed low before his daughter. His bare forehead pessed against the flooring of his study in a show of his sincerity. He humbled himself as he expressed his greatest shame to his eldest daughter. A part of him wished for her to yell, scream, rant, and rave about how he had treated her. Hiashi felt that was what he deserved.

Hinata almost couldn't comprehend the sight before her. It was almost unheard of for any clan head to make such a gesture, and the Hyuga were a very proud clan. The girl was overwhelmed by emotion, and tears poured freely down her face. She rushed over, lifted her father into a sitting position by his shoulders, and quickly embraced him in a hug. "It's okay Otou-sama. I forgive you."

The words were almost too much to bear for the middle aged man. He hadn't known what to expect from his daughter, but in hindsight he didn't know how he didn't see this coming. Hinata was the epitome of compassion. Seeing him prostrated on his hands and knees must not have been easy for her. Hiashi returned the hug with misty eyes while he vowed to never let her down like that again.

 **A/N:** So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I actually wrote it all in a few hours. The rest of the time was spent on editing. Can you believe I added 2,000 words when I edited this? I was just trying to correct my grammar, but that made certain parts look weird to me. So now there has been more detail added because of it. I originally had Naruko show off her fuinjutsu skills against Kakashi, but it felt weird to have her so suddenly and completely drop the act. Instead you get a less dramatic reveal! Let me know what you all thought of the chapter. Criticism is welcome as I feel it'll help me improve as a writer. I'd specifically like some feedback about the combat scenes as this is my first real one.


	5. Legend of Naruko Announcement

**Legend of Naruko Announcement**

First of all thank you all for following this fic, especially those of you who left reviews. Honestly this was my first real attempt at writing anything and the fact that 4 chapters has gotten over 200 followers is mind boggling. Especially since I still get new ones to this day. The only reason I am revisiting this is because it has so much support from you all. I truly thought that after 16 months of inactivity it would have been buried under a slew of fics, and never see the light of day again.

I'm pleasantly surprised that there is still interest in this story of mine. So now I'm going to rewrite the chapters that I already have made for a couple of reasons. The most prominent reason being I wrote myself into a bit of a corner by making Naruko way too powerful so early on. It's already hard to imagine her having problems with any opponent weaker than an akatsuki member. At this rate by the time she gets to the start of the shippuden era she'll be strong enough to solo Madara and all of the akatsuki together without serious injury.

Another thing is that I want to incorporate some of the advice given to me in reviews. The grammar in the earliest chapter also makes me cringe when I read it so I'll be brushing up on all of that as well to make a strong start that I can be proud of. You can expect the first rewritten chapter to be completed within the next month. Unlike when I was writing before I now I have a full time job and a social life so I won't be able to pump out the chapters like I did then. Still it will be a marked improvement over a year of nothingness, and it will also be more sustainable as my life is better balanced now. I look forward to starting this project back up again and fleshing out the concept that you all have enjoyed. I wish you much luck and many blessings!


End file.
